The Chosen Path
Chapter 1
-Hey peeps! Just to clear this up; I no own. Bye, bye!
There were two. And that was all. Two alone, had done this. Two who had done this slaughter of men and beast. And there were only two. There were only two sets of footprints leading out of the chaos that was once a great empire. Two sets leading in, and only two leading out. That was the way of the manslayer, it always had been, and it always would be. Perhaps there was no hope for this heartless, cruel race of humanoid assassins; perhaps there was not a single hope for these helpless people who had given their souls to the devil.
Or perhaps...there was.
But still the fact remained; there were only two. And they were invincible.
Blood soaked the ground of the burning structure and the footprints filled with the crimson liquid, seeping into the earth like fresh rain. And there were only two, side by side, in a companionable, slow, casual walk, leading to who knew where.
And there was not a sound.
For they had succeeded in their mission.
***********************
"WAKE UP!!!!" Kaoru screamed in Kenshin's ear as Sanosuke and Yahiko held their hands over their ears in annoyance.
"What?! What happened?! I'm up!" Kenshin shot up from the balcony, a ringing sound coming to his ears. He looked blankly at the small group surrounding him and blinked. "What?" he asked again, blinking at them innocently. Kaoru looked irritated.
"Kenshin, you said that you would take us out for lunch today." She growled.
Kenshin sweat-dropped and stood up smiling. "Oh, uh, hee, hee, must have nodded off. Let's go then." He smiled and headed toward the doors, a surprised Kaoru, Sano, and Yahiko following behind him.
"I wonder what's up with Kenshin." Yahiko whispered to Sanosuke, he shrugged.
"Maybe he's still thinking about Aioshi." He suggested.
Kenshin smiled, overhearing their conversation.
"Actually, I was just recalling an old friend of mine from during the Revolution." He stated calmly.
Sanosuke face-faulted. "Oh! Uh...yeah..." he sweat-dropped. "I knew that..." he mumbled.
*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*At the Fourth Avenue Café
Kenshin sighed as Kaoru and Yahiko began yet another argument over who was a bigger slob. Sanosuke glanced at them irritated before turning to Kenshin with a smile.
"So, what's the deal with this friend of yours? I didn't think that the Batousai (Is that how you spell it?) had any friends during the war." He smiled inquiringly.
Kenshin sipped his tea for a moment, letting his eyes wander to the window.
"That's because our friendship was strictly confidential. We were very careful not to be discovered during the war so that we could maintain our respected reputations. Actually, Usagi was my old sensei's final student. After I left him to take part in the war, Usagi took my place as his apprentice and pupil. Unlike myself though, Usagi completed the training and moved on to other sword techniques. She had mastered over fifteen different styles by the time we finally met."
Sanosuke stared at him in shock, jaw hanging open. "Nani?! Are you saying there's someone out there that actually has the ability to defeat you?!"
Kenshin smiled evenly. "I suppose that's one way to look at it. I wouldn't worry too much about it though; Usagi and I were best friends until the end of the Revolution."
"Nande?" Sanosuke blinked, confused. "Why'd it end there?"
Kenshin closed his eyes in remembrance, sighing softly.
"I chose to lay down my sword where as she chose to continue along the path of death. She helped me escape the military and then we parted ways." He explained smoothly.
Sanosuke stared at him for a long moment. Suddenly a sly grin crept on to his face.
"Oh yeah? Was she hot?" he asked, nudging Kenshin's side.
"Huh? Hot? Usagi? Nani?!" Kenshin's eyes grew huge and he shook his head roughly. "Usa-chan was my best friend you hentai!" he blinked, regaining his composure. "But if you must know, I never actually got to see how she looked. I only saw as much as any other man." He stated softly.
"...care to elaborate?"
"She always wore a black cloak to hide her various blades. It served to hide her features as well. Because of that, many of her slayings, if not all of them, were attributed to me. We worked together many a time, though only twice have I glimpsed her face." Kenshin explained.
Sanosuke refused to hear that comment. "Oooh...So was she pretty then? What did she look like?" He urged, leaning toward his friend anxiously.
"Uh, let's see...that's easy enough. She had the fairest skin I've ever set eyes on and dark blue eyes. I think she wore the hood mainly to hide the fact that she was a foreigner, or at least she appeared to be. Her hair was blonde with silver streaks in it, she was around my height without heels." Kenshin smiled fondly at the memory of his best friend before narrowing his eyes.
A flash of silver in the trees past the window caught his attention.
"Sano, I'll be right back." He said slowly, rising from his seat...only to be tackled to the ground by a fuming Kaoru.
"Kenshin! You aren't thinking about leaving us with the bill now are you?" she growled.
Kenshin sweat-dropped. "Uh...hee, hee...no! That wasn't it at all!" he squeaked out. Suddenly the door to the café slammed open. All eyes in the place flew to the solitary figure that stood in the doorway.
"Kami-sama, are you a tenshi?" one of the drunkards asked in a slurred voice.
Ruby red lips tugged into a wry smirk.
"Unfortunately not, Love, demo, I'd be happy to send you to hell." She pulled a silver dagger out of nowhere and held it at her shoulder for a brief moment before tossing it in the air and catching it again. She smiled and closed her hand into a fist. The dagger disappeared.
"What the hell?!" the man screamed as the dagger appeared imbedded in his table beside his sake cup. "What the hell are you?!" he demanded in a frightened voice.
She rolled her eyes, walking past him casually. Her knee high, soft brown boots were laced up in the front and held her shapely calves like a second skin, leading up to her perfectly toned thighs which were barely covered by a pair of *very* skimpy brown shorts that laced up on the sides and hung low on her hips. A beige, non-sleeved turtleneck left her stomach revealed and it was just as tight as the rest of her outfit. But, the most noticeable aspect of her attire was the four swords that hung loosely at her sides; two on either side. Fighter's ribbon was wrapped around her arms from her wrists to her elbows, leaving her delicate-looking hands revealed.
She casually removed the weaponry and set it beside a cushion at an empty table before sitting there.
Keiko smiled brightly as she approached the angelic young woman. "Well hi there Serenity-san, it's nice to see you back after so long. What can I get for ya?"
Serenity smiled lightly. "Sake would be nice, let's see..." she eyed the menu speculatively. "I'll stick with the drinks for now, perhaps some tea?"
*Meanwhile*
All movement and sound seemed to vanish as the beautiful young woman made her entrance. Kaoru and Yahiko had long since stopped arguing and now everyone's attention was focused solely on the doll-like figure that was currently threatening a local drunk. Kenshin paled as she pulled a dagger out of seemingly nowhere and rested it at her shoulder. Her moonbeam skin seemed to almost glow and her eyes were a shade of deepest sapphire, sparkling like diamonds. But what made his breath catch was the knee-length golden waves of sun kissed glory that cascaded from a high ponytail atop her head, streaks of pale silver shining through the golden mass.
"It's her..." he breathed, barely above a whisper, as she closed her fist and the dagger was imbedded in the drunken man's table.
Sanosuke didn't remove his gaze from the girl as he whispered back, "That's Usagi?" at Kenshin's nod, "She's...wow..."
Kenshin nodded again as Keiko went to take her order, their conversation drifting to the table.
Kaoru looked at Kenshin suspiciously. "Kenshin, do you know that girl?" she demanded, a spark of jealously in her eyes.
"Hai, that's Usagi. I know it. That has to be her." Kenshin said absentmindedly.
"I could recognize that stance anywhere." He added mentally.
Sanosuke still continued to stare. "Yeah, Kenshin here says he knew her during the Revolution. She sure is something though." He grinned like an idiot.
Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Bakas, maybe Keiko could tell us something about her. They seem to know each other." She thought aloud.
Yahiko grinned. "What's wrong Kaoru? Jealous that there's a way gorgeous babe getting all the attention?" he sighed dramatically. "Ugly people get jealous sooo easily." He smirked. Kaoru turned red as she smacked him upside the head.
"Jerk! What would you know!" she bellowed. Yahiko blushed as he checked to see if Serenity had heard her. He sighed in relief as he saw that she was still calmly sipping her tea and writing something down on a piece of parchment. Then he turned angry charcoal eyes to a still fuming Kaoru.
"Kaoru! What'd you do that for?!" he whined.
She sighed. "You're such a baka. Anyway, Keiko?" she called pleasantly, changing the subject.
Keiko smiled lightly as she came up to them.
"Something you need Miss Kaoru?" she asked lightly.
Kaoru nodded, a determined look on her face.
"Hai. I would like to know who that girl is. I've never seen her before." She stated.
Kenshin and Sanosuke finally pulled their gazes away from Serenity to look at Keiko. She smiled brightly.
"Oh, is that all?" She sat on the edge of their "bench". "Her name is Serenity. She's a wanderer as far as I know. She comes in here every now and then, but she usually stays in town for a day or two before continuing her journeys." Keiko's eyes grew misty as she continued. "She's my idol because during the war she passed herself off as a man and became a fighter for justice. She's really smart too."
"Is she married?" Sanosuke asked quickly.
Keiko blinked, then laughed out right. "Serenity? Heaven's no! She's more likely to be looking for someone to kill then marry!" she giggled. Everyone, excluding Kenshin, looked shocked at this.
"Kill?" Yahiko smirked. "I guess her name really doesn't affect her personality then, ne?" he chuckled at his own little joke. Sanosuke sighed, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't quit your day job." He smirked. Yahiko groaned.
"Serenity isn't really her real name, is it?" Kenshin finally spoke, his voice soft. Keiko shrugged, still smiling.
"Iie, but nobody knows her real name so we just call her Serenity, because that's the only name she gave us."
"That so? I wonder why she would want to be called Serenity. She certainly doesn't seem like the peaceful type." Kaoru frowned, eyeing said person suspiciously.
Keiko shrugged, getting up. "Ne, why don't you just ask her yourself? I'll tell her that you're interested in that." She said, heading toward Serenity before anyone could object.
Kaoru blanched. Sanosuke glanced at Kenshin questioningly.
"What are you gonna say to her?" he asked. All eyes fell on him.
Kenshin looked like he was in deep thought for a moment. Then he laughed nervously. "Well, to tell you the truth Sano, I have absolutely no idea." He smiled.
Everyone fell over anime style.
**********************************
Keiko handed Serenity a yellow rose and several drinks and pieces of jewelry.
"These are from the men. Some are from last time, the drinks are from that guy, him, him, him, and him. The rose is from Megumi for helping her with the medicines yesterday." She explained, pointing out all the men in the place. Serenity smiled kindly at her.
"Thank you Keiko. I love roses." She smiled wryly as she examined the jewelry. "Take these to the market and sell them to the highest bidder. Give the profits to the poor families along the alleys." She ordered softly. "And these," she picked up a cup of sake, examining it. "I'll take 'em."
Keiko nodded, recollecting the jewelry. "You haven't changed. Oh yeah! My friends over there were asking about you." she winked. "Miss Kaoru is interested in your skills I believe."
Serenity nodded, lifting her eyes to survey the table. Her eyes widened slightly as she caught sight of a certain red haired man.
"Who's that?" she asked, nodding to Kenshin.
"Oh! That's Kenshin Himura, he's a swordsman." Keiko answered.
Serenity held back her gasp. "Kenshin? Kenshin Himura?!" she stood up and quickly made her way to the table...
-Soooo...How was that? Please review!!
Chapter 1
-Hey peeps! Just to clear this up; I no own. Bye, bye!
There were two. And that was all. Two alone, had done this. Two who had done this slaughter of men and beast. And there were only two. There were only two sets of footprints leading out of the chaos that was once a great empire. Two sets leading in, and only two leading out. That was the way of the manslayer, it always had been, and it always would be. Perhaps there was no hope for this heartless, cruel race of humanoid assassins; perhaps there was not a single hope for these helpless people who had given their souls to the devil.
Or perhaps...there was.
But still the fact remained; there were only two. And they were invincible.
Blood soaked the ground of the burning structure and the footprints filled with the crimson liquid, seeping into the earth like fresh rain. And there were only two, side by side, in a companionable, slow, casual walk, leading to who knew where.
And there was not a sound.
For they had succeeded in their mission.
***********************
"WAKE UP!!!!" Kaoru screamed in Kenshin's ear as Sanosuke and Yahiko held their hands over their ears in annoyance.
"What?! What happened?! I'm up!" Kenshin shot up from the balcony, a ringing sound coming to his ears. He looked blankly at the small group surrounding him and blinked. "What?" he asked again, blinking at them innocently. Kaoru looked irritated.
"Kenshin, you said that you would take us out for lunch today." She growled.
Kenshin sweat-dropped and stood up smiling. "Oh, uh, hee, hee, must have nodded off. Let's go then." He smiled and headed toward the doors, a surprised Kaoru, Sano, and Yahiko following behind him.
"I wonder what's up with Kenshin." Yahiko whispered to Sanosuke, he shrugged.
"Maybe he's still thinking about Aioshi." He suggested.
Kenshin smiled, overhearing their conversation.
"Actually, I was just recalling an old friend of mine from during the Revolution." He stated calmly.
Sanosuke face-faulted. "Oh! Uh...yeah..." he sweat-dropped. "I knew that..." he mumbled.
*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*At the Fourth Avenue Café
Kenshin sighed as Kaoru and Yahiko began yet another argument over who was a bigger slob. Sanosuke glanced at them irritated before turning to Kenshin with a smile.
"So, what's the deal with this friend of yours? I didn't think that the Batousai (Is that how you spell it?) had any friends during the war." He smiled inquiringly.
Kenshin sipped his tea for a moment, letting his eyes wander to the window.
"That's because our friendship was strictly confidential. We were very careful not to be discovered during the war so that we could maintain our respected reputations. Actually, Usagi was my old sensei's final student. After I left him to take part in the war, Usagi took my place as his apprentice and pupil. Unlike myself though, Usagi completed the training and moved on to other sword techniques. She had mastered over fifteen different styles by the time we finally met."
Sanosuke stared at him in shock, jaw hanging open. "Nani?! Are you saying there's someone out there that actually has the ability to defeat you?!"
Kenshin smiled evenly. "I suppose that's one way to look at it. I wouldn't worry too much about it though; Usagi and I were best friends until the end of the Revolution."
"Nande?" Sanosuke blinked, confused. "Why'd it end there?"
Kenshin closed his eyes in remembrance, sighing softly.
"I chose to lay down my sword where as she chose to continue along the path of death. She helped me escape the military and then we parted ways." He explained smoothly.
Sanosuke stared at him for a long moment. Suddenly a sly grin crept on to his face.
"Oh yeah? Was she hot?" he asked, nudging Kenshin's side.
"Huh? Hot? Usagi? Nani?!" Kenshin's eyes grew huge and he shook his head roughly. "Usa-chan was my best friend you hentai!" he blinked, regaining his composure. "But if you must know, I never actually got to see how she looked. I only saw as much as any other man." He stated softly.
"...care to elaborate?"
"She always wore a black cloak to hide her various blades. It served to hide her features as well. Because of that, many of her slayings, if not all of them, were attributed to me. We worked together many a time, though only twice have I glimpsed her face." Kenshin explained.
Sanosuke refused to hear that comment. "Oooh...So was she pretty then? What did she look like?" He urged, leaning toward his friend anxiously.
"Uh, let's see...that's easy enough. She had the fairest skin I've ever set eyes on and dark blue eyes. I think she wore the hood mainly to hide the fact that she was a foreigner, or at least she appeared to be. Her hair was blonde with silver streaks in it, she was around my height without heels." Kenshin smiled fondly at the memory of his best friend before narrowing his eyes.
A flash of silver in the trees past the window caught his attention.
"Sano, I'll be right back." He said slowly, rising from his seat...only to be tackled to the ground by a fuming Kaoru.
"Kenshin! You aren't thinking about leaving us with the bill now are you?" she growled.
Kenshin sweat-dropped. "Uh...hee, hee...no! That wasn't it at all!" he squeaked out. Suddenly the door to the café slammed open. All eyes in the place flew to the solitary figure that stood in the doorway.
"Kami-sama, are you a tenshi?" one of the drunkards asked in a slurred voice.
Ruby red lips tugged into a wry smirk.
"Unfortunately not, Love, demo, I'd be happy to send you to hell." She pulled a silver dagger out of nowhere and held it at her shoulder for a brief moment before tossing it in the air and catching it again. She smiled and closed her hand into a fist. The dagger disappeared.
"What the hell?!" the man screamed as the dagger appeared imbedded in his table beside his sake cup. "What the hell are you?!" he demanded in a frightened voice.
She rolled her eyes, walking past him casually. Her knee high, soft brown boots were laced up in the front and held her shapely calves like a second skin, leading up to her perfectly toned thighs which were barely covered by a pair of *very* skimpy brown shorts that laced up on the sides and hung low on her hips. A beige, non-sleeved turtleneck left her stomach revealed and it was just as tight as the rest of her outfit. But, the most noticeable aspect of her attire was the four swords that hung loosely at her sides; two on either side. Fighter's ribbon was wrapped around her arms from her wrists to her elbows, leaving her delicate-looking hands revealed.
She casually removed the weaponry and set it beside a cushion at an empty table before sitting there.
Keiko smiled brightly as she approached the angelic young woman. "Well hi there Serenity-san, it's nice to see you back after so long. What can I get for ya?"
Serenity smiled lightly. "Sake would be nice, let's see..." she eyed the menu speculatively. "I'll stick with the drinks for now, perhaps some tea?"
*Meanwhile*
All movement and sound seemed to vanish as the beautiful young woman made her entrance. Kaoru and Yahiko had long since stopped arguing and now everyone's attention was focused solely on the doll-like figure that was currently threatening a local drunk. Kenshin paled as she pulled a dagger out of seemingly nowhere and rested it at her shoulder. Her moonbeam skin seemed to almost glow and her eyes were a shade of deepest sapphire, sparkling like diamonds. But what made his breath catch was the knee-length golden waves of sun kissed glory that cascaded from a high ponytail atop her head, streaks of pale silver shining through the golden mass.
"It's her..." he breathed, barely above a whisper, as she closed her fist and the dagger was imbedded in the drunken man's table.
Sanosuke didn't remove his gaze from the girl as he whispered back, "That's Usagi?" at Kenshin's nod, "She's...wow..."
Kenshin nodded again as Keiko went to take her order, their conversation drifting to the table.
Kaoru looked at Kenshin suspiciously. "Kenshin, do you know that girl?" she demanded, a spark of jealously in her eyes.
"Hai, that's Usagi. I know it. That has to be her." Kenshin said absentmindedly.
"I could recognize that stance anywhere." He added mentally.
Sanosuke still continued to stare. "Yeah, Kenshin here says he knew her during the Revolution. She sure is something though." He grinned like an idiot.
Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Bakas, maybe Keiko could tell us something about her. They seem to know each other." She thought aloud.
Yahiko grinned. "What's wrong Kaoru? Jealous that there's a way gorgeous babe getting all the attention?" he sighed dramatically. "Ugly people get jealous sooo easily." He smirked. Kaoru turned red as she smacked him upside the head.
"Jerk! What would you know!" she bellowed. Yahiko blushed as he checked to see if Serenity had heard her. He sighed in relief as he saw that she was still calmly sipping her tea and writing something down on a piece of parchment. Then he turned angry charcoal eyes to a still fuming Kaoru.
"Kaoru! What'd you do that for?!" he whined.
She sighed. "You're such a baka. Anyway, Keiko?" she called pleasantly, changing the subject.
Keiko smiled lightly as she came up to them.
"Something you need Miss Kaoru?" she asked lightly.
Kaoru nodded, a determined look on her face.
"Hai. I would like to know who that girl is. I've never seen her before." She stated.
Kenshin and Sanosuke finally pulled their gazes away from Serenity to look at Keiko. She smiled brightly.
"Oh, is that all?" She sat on the edge of their "bench". "Her name is Serenity. She's a wanderer as far as I know. She comes in here every now and then, but she usually stays in town for a day or two before continuing her journeys." Keiko's eyes grew misty as she continued. "She's my idol because during the war she passed herself off as a man and became a fighter for justice. She's really smart too."
"Is she married?" Sanosuke asked quickly.
Keiko blinked, then laughed out right. "Serenity? Heaven's no! She's more likely to be looking for someone to kill then marry!" she giggled. Everyone, excluding Kenshin, looked shocked at this.
"Kill?" Yahiko smirked. "I guess her name really doesn't affect her personality then, ne?" he chuckled at his own little joke. Sanosuke sighed, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't quit your day job." He smirked. Yahiko groaned.
"Serenity isn't really her real name, is it?" Kenshin finally spoke, his voice soft. Keiko shrugged, still smiling.
"Iie, but nobody knows her real name so we just call her Serenity, because that's the only name she gave us."
"That so? I wonder why she would want to be called Serenity. She certainly doesn't seem like the peaceful type." Kaoru frowned, eyeing said person suspiciously.
Keiko shrugged, getting up. "Ne, why don't you just ask her yourself? I'll tell her that you're interested in that." She said, heading toward Serenity before anyone could object.
Kaoru blanched. Sanosuke glanced at Kenshin questioningly.
"What are you gonna say to her?" he asked. All eyes fell on him.
Kenshin looked like he was in deep thought for a moment. Then he laughed nervously. "Well, to tell you the truth Sano, I have absolutely no idea." He smiled.
Everyone fell over anime style.
**********************************
Keiko handed Serenity a yellow rose and several drinks and pieces of jewelry.
"These are from the men. Some are from last time, the drinks are from that guy, him, him, him, and him. The rose is from Megumi for helping her with the medicines yesterday." She explained, pointing out all the men in the place. Serenity smiled kindly at her.
"Thank you Keiko. I love roses." She smiled wryly as she examined the jewelry. "Take these to the market and sell them to the highest bidder. Give the profits to the poor families along the alleys." She ordered softly. "And these," she picked up a cup of sake, examining it. "I'll take 'em."
Keiko nodded, recollecting the jewelry. "You haven't changed. Oh yeah! My friends over there were asking about you." she winked. "Miss Kaoru is interested in your skills I believe."
Serenity nodded, lifting her eyes to survey the table. Her eyes widened slightly as she caught sight of a certain red haired man.
"Who's that?" she asked, nodding to Kenshin.
"Oh! That's Kenshin Himura, he's a swordsman." Keiko answered.
Serenity held back her gasp. "Kenshin? Kenshin Himura?!" she stood up and quickly made her way to the table...
-Soooo...How was that? Please review!!
