And here's chapter 2!
R&R please!
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Sensing movement, Kenshin was jolted out of his slumber. He sat up quickly and grabbed his sword, then his eyes widened. The kasa had lifted off the bed and dropped onto the floor. As he watched, the monk rose out of the hat and stepped calmly onto the floor. "Are you in a better mood yet no da?" the monk asked in his high voice.
Kenshin nodded, momentarily at a loss for words. "I think we got off on the wrong foot no da." Chichiri continued. "You can call me Chichiri no da." he smiled. Kenshin stood up and went over to him, deciding to ignore the no da's. He hesitantly bowed. "Himura. Himura Kenshin." he said. "Nice to meet you no da." Chichiri said brightly. "I apologize for attacking you, I wasn't exactly in the right frame of mind." Kenshin said. "Not a problem no da! I provoked you a little I'm afraid no da." Chichiri replied, waving his hand. "How did you do that?" Kenshin asked, looking down at the kasa. "It's just something I do no da." Chichiri said with a grin. Kenshin raised an eyebrow, but decided to not inquire further.
"Well I'm going to go to bed no da. I'm leaving early in the morning. You should sleep too no da." As he spoke Chichiri moved his things off the bed and put them on the floor, easily within his reach. Kenshin watched curiously as he lay the kesa flat on the ground and propped the staff up against the wall. Then as he moved to get into bed, Kenshin returned to the chair, facing the door, and sat down.
"Aren't you sleeping in a bed?" Came a voice. Kenshin turned to see the monk, already in one of the beds. Chichiri was propped up on his elbow watching him. "I'm used to sleeping like this." Kenshin answered. "I've put up a ward, I'll know if anyone comes in no da. You can sleep soundly and not worry no da." Chichiri said. "I'm not worried." Kenshin said defensively. "Cautious then." he answered. "Most hitokiri are no da."
"How did you?" Kenshin began. "Just a lucky guess no da." Chichiri said. "But I noticed your sword, the blade is on the wrong side no da." he continued. "That it is." Kenshin agreed, Chichiri could tell he didn't intend to say anything else about it. "Would it hurt so much to spend one night in a bed? You'll be more relaxed in the morning no da." Chichiri insisted, the swordsman obviously needed a good nights sleep. "I'd rather be alert." Kenshin said.
"I give you my word no da. You don't have to be alert tonight no da." Chichiri pressed. "Well, I guess I believe you. You did disappear into a hat no da." Kenshin said. He frowned at Chichiri's laughter. "What's so funny?" he asked. "You said no da!" Chichiri replied. Kenshin blinked in confusion. "What did I say? Oh! I did." He looked away frowning. *Must have had more sake than I thought.* Chichiri smiled and then rolled over to sleep. After a moment, Kenshin looked at the empty bed. It did look pretty inviting. *Well, why not?* he wondered.
Kenshin went quietly - an easy thing for him - over to the bed and got in. He lay on his side with his sword in front of him. He lay awake for a while, alert and ready, but soon he fell asleep. The deepest sleep he had gotten in a long time. Much to his relief, if he had dreamed about Tomoe, he didn't remember when he woke up.
The sun peaked through the window and danced across Kenshin's face, waking him. *Why am I lying down* he wondered. Grabbing his sword, Kenshin quickly sat up, surveying the room. *Ah that's right, the monk convinced me to sleep in a bed* Then he noticed that Chichiri was gone. He shrugged; he didn't really care for the monk's company. *That's not true* his inner voice chided. He frowned in contemplation, he had felt more relaxed around the monk, almost as if he felt a bond with Chichiri. *As annoying as he was, I nearly smiled a few times. It's hard to be anything but happy around a guy like that, even for me.*
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Chichiri silently got out of bed, careful not to wake the sleeping hitokiri. He grabbed his kasa and stepped onto the kesa. He picked up his staff, making sure it didn't jingle, and took a deep breath. As he sank into the kesa, he looked at the redhead who was still asleep. "May Suzaku watch over you." he said softly. "I hope your scars heal faster than mine did, Kenshin." With that, he was gone. The kesa followed the staff until no trace of the monk and his things was left in the room.
Chichiri appeared in an empty field, where no one could see him, on the outskirts of the town. Putting on his kesa and kasa, he headed off down a path. Headed to wherever his feet would take him.
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Kenshin stepped out onto the street, as he finished tying up his high ponytail. "Excuse me." he said to a passer-by. The person glanced at his sword and then hurried away. Kenshin sighed, he wasn't surprised, things like that happened more often than not. After 3 more tries he was beginning to think he would never get directions out of town. Suddenly he thought of the monk. Chichiri had seemed harmless, with his huge grin and constant no da-ing. But he had easily evaded Kenshin, the Hitokiri Battousai! He also seemed to have some strange magic at his disposal. Kenshin doubted that the monk was as harmless as he seemed. *I bet he isn't as clueless as I thought either* Kenshin thought. Then, inspiration struck. *I wonder. . .*
"Excuse me no da!" Kenshin said with a big grin to a woman passing him. She looked at him in surprise, glanced warily at his sword, and then back to him. "Yes?" she said nervously. *It's working!* Kenshin thought in surprise. "Could you direct me to the South Gate no da?" he asked, still grinning. "Oh, of course." The woman said with a relieved smile. "Just go down this street until you come to the fish seller. Turn right there and keep going. The South Gate is on that road, you can't miss it." she said. "Thank you very much no da!" he cried. Then he turned and headed down the road.
*I can't believe the difference in people's reactions. Am I really that intimidating? Or does saying something weird at the end of every sentence and grinning put people at ease?* Kenshin pondered as he walked. Before he knew it, he was on a small dirt road that went through a field. He knew it was a 2-day's walk to the next town, so he set a meandering pace for himself. He was in no hurry, and the stares in town made him uncomfortable. *Maybe I'll work on grinning and saying stupid things on the way* he thought, allowing himself a chuckle. He paused in surprise, his short time spend with the monk had begun a change in him. Talking to someone and having them concerned about him had had more of an effect on him than he thought it would. *Maybe that's what I need to help me heal, a friend.*
He followed the path into the woods and as sunset neared, began to look for a place to spend the night. Although the trees made it easy for him to hide, it also made it easier for people to sneak up on him. *There I go, thinking like a hitokiri again, nobody's after me anymore. Or at least nobody's following me, waiting for me to drop my guard* Kenshin thought. He finally found a rock outcropping. He could sit under it, and be protected on 2 sides and on top. He looked around to make sure he was alone, and then sat under the ledge. He had spent the whole day wondering how someone like Chichiri could be so happy so soon after the dark times. Kenshin had never thought he could be like that until he met Tomoe, now, he wondered if he could ever be like that again. With thoughts like that spinning in his head, he rested his chin on his chest and fell into a restless sleep.
~~~ He was hurt. Breathing hard he readied his sword and took a final swing at his opponent. There was a flash of movement. The sword hit his enemy, and the girl between them. "Tomoe!" Kenshin cried! He dropped his sword and caught her as she fell. ~~~
"No!" Kenshin gasped as he woke up. He sat in the brightening dawn light, under the rock outcropping. "Tomoe." He whispered into the morning. Feeling wetness on his cheek he raised his hand to find blood. He had scraped the scab off during his dream. Sighing he stood up and looked around. It was a beautiful morning, sunlight was gently streaming through the trees. *It's a wonderful day. Which is the opposite of how I feel* he thought bitterly. Making sure his sword was in place at his side, Kenshin headed back onto the path and went on his way, ignoring the blood slowly dripping from the reopened wound on his cheek.
"Well what do we have here?" asked a voice. Kenshin shook himself out of his thought. *Damn, how did they sneak up on me? Careless* he chided himself. A tall, unshaven man stepped out of the trees and onto the path in front of Kenshin. "Pay the toll or you don't pass." he said. "I have no money," Kenshin bluffed. "Just let me through." His senses told him he was being surrounded. *They don't stand a chance against me* he thought, feeling his blood rush at the thought of battle. *No, I won't kill. I have to talk my way out of this.*
"Well if you have no money, there are other ways to pay us. Pretty boy." the man said. Kenshin's eyes widened. "Pretty boy?" he asked angrily. The man threatening him looked too much like the one that he had been fighting when Tomoe died. The noon sun caught a glint of gold in his eyes. The circle closed around him. Kenshin tensed, trying to keep himself from drawing his sword. Then a hand tried to tug off his pants. He drew his sword and sent the offender flying in and instant. Losing himself to his anger and sorrow, his golden eyes narrowed as he looked at the rest of his opponents. They stood in shock for a moment, and then, "Get him!" the leader cried. They quickly drew their swords and rushed at him.
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu! Ryu Tsui Sen! Ryu Kan Sen! Dou Ryu Sen!" Battousai screamed as he attacked. Soon only the leader was left. Using his God- like speed, Battousai pinned him against a tree with the point of his sword at his throat. "I'll pay your toll. And the price is, your quick death!" he snarled. He eased his arms back, ready to thrust the sword into the man's throat, no one would run between them to be killed at this distance. In his mind, he wasn't killing a simple bandit, he was killing the man that had separated him from Tomoe.
The thought of Tomoe made him hesitate, wasn't there something he had sworn? Battousai couldn't think of it, it must not have been important. However his hesitation cost him, the bandit pulled a knife and stabbed into Kenshin's stomach. ~~~~~~~ Chichiri walked along the road through the woods. "Kantarii Roudo. Kono michi. Zutto, yukeba" he hummed. (a/n cookies to whoever knows where that song is from) He had found a stream the night before and had spent most of the morning fishing after he had woken up. Although streams still brought up sad memories, fishing relaxed him. He now walked along, pole slung over his shoulder and wearing his fishing hat. His staff was safely stored inside his kasa.
*It's a beautiful day* he thought as he walked. Suddenly he heard shouting, and the sounds of swords. "A fight." he gasped. He hurried towards the source of the sounds. "Ryu Kan Sen!" came a shout. Chichiri rounded a bend in the road to see several bandits, laid out unconscious on the road. A few more were fighting a redhead. Well, it looked more like having their butts kicked and handed to them by the redhead. *It's Kenshin!* he realized. "Dou Ryu Sen!" Battousai screamed, sending a slash of air at one of the two remaining bandits. Then he grabbed the last one and slammed him against a tree. Chichiri hurried closer.
"Your quick death!" He heard Kenshin say. He pulled back his sword, about to thrust it into the man's throat. Then as Chichiri watched in horror, the man stabbed Kenshin. "Kenshin!" Chichiri cried out, hurrying forward.
Snarling in pain and fury, Battousai prepared to kill the man whose knife was in his stomach. He glanced to the side to see a fisherman standing on the road. Battousai decided to ignore him, he would deal with the interfering fisherman later. He turned his attention back to the man he was about to kill.
When he looked back to the bandit Chichiri made up his mind and rushed forward. "Kenshin, stop!" he grabbed Kenshin's arm and kept him from stabbing the man. "Get out of here." Chichiri snarled at the man. Babbling something that sounded grateful, the man scampered away into the trees. Chichiri let go of Kenshin's arm. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded, swinging his sword at Chichiri.
Chichiri felt the sword hit his face and slice into his mask, but not his flesh. As Kenshin, still Battousai, came at him again, Chichiri raised his barrier. When the sword bounced off, Battousai stepped back glaring, trying to figure out how to get to the man inside. "Kenshin! Snap out of it! You're hurt, stop this!" Chichiri cried, seeing the strange look in Kenshin's eyes. "It's me no da!" he said. Kenshin blinked and hesitated. "You don't want to kill me no da!" Chichiri said, seeing the hesitation.
Kenshin shuddered and looked at his sword, then back at Chichiri. "Chi- Chichiri?" he whispered. Then he hissed in pain and clutched the wound, blood began to spread on the fabric under his hand. Dropping the barrier, Chichiri caught him as he began to fall. "Kenshin! Hang on no da!" Chichiri gasped.
Sensing movement, Kenshin was jolted out of his slumber. He sat up quickly and grabbed his sword, then his eyes widened. The kasa had lifted off the bed and dropped onto the floor. As he watched, the monk rose out of the hat and stepped calmly onto the floor. "Are you in a better mood yet no da?" the monk asked in his high voice.
Kenshin nodded, momentarily at a loss for words. "I think we got off on the wrong foot no da." Chichiri continued. "You can call me Chichiri no da." he smiled. Kenshin stood up and went over to him, deciding to ignore the no da's. He hesitantly bowed. "Himura. Himura Kenshin." he said. "Nice to meet you no da." Chichiri said brightly. "I apologize for attacking you, I wasn't exactly in the right frame of mind." Kenshin said. "Not a problem no da! I provoked you a little I'm afraid no da." Chichiri replied, waving his hand. "How did you do that?" Kenshin asked, looking down at the kasa. "It's just something I do no da." Chichiri said with a grin. Kenshin raised an eyebrow, but decided to not inquire further.
"Well I'm going to go to bed no da. I'm leaving early in the morning. You should sleep too no da." As he spoke Chichiri moved his things off the bed and put them on the floor, easily within his reach. Kenshin watched curiously as he lay the kesa flat on the ground and propped the staff up against the wall. Then as he moved to get into bed, Kenshin returned to the chair, facing the door, and sat down.
"Aren't you sleeping in a bed?" Came a voice. Kenshin turned to see the monk, already in one of the beds. Chichiri was propped up on his elbow watching him. "I'm used to sleeping like this." Kenshin answered. "I've put up a ward, I'll know if anyone comes in no da. You can sleep soundly and not worry no da." Chichiri said. "I'm not worried." Kenshin said defensively. "Cautious then." he answered. "Most hitokiri are no da."
"How did you?" Kenshin began. "Just a lucky guess no da." Chichiri said. "But I noticed your sword, the blade is on the wrong side no da." he continued. "That it is." Kenshin agreed, Chichiri could tell he didn't intend to say anything else about it. "Would it hurt so much to spend one night in a bed? You'll be more relaxed in the morning no da." Chichiri insisted, the swordsman obviously needed a good nights sleep. "I'd rather be alert." Kenshin said.
"I give you my word no da. You don't have to be alert tonight no da." Chichiri pressed. "Well, I guess I believe you. You did disappear into a hat no da." Kenshin said. He frowned at Chichiri's laughter. "What's so funny?" he asked. "You said no da!" Chichiri replied. Kenshin blinked in confusion. "What did I say? Oh! I did." He looked away frowning. *Must have had more sake than I thought.* Chichiri smiled and then rolled over to sleep. After a moment, Kenshin looked at the empty bed. It did look pretty inviting. *Well, why not?* he wondered.
Kenshin went quietly - an easy thing for him - over to the bed and got in. He lay on his side with his sword in front of him. He lay awake for a while, alert and ready, but soon he fell asleep. The deepest sleep he had gotten in a long time. Much to his relief, if he had dreamed about Tomoe, he didn't remember when he woke up.
The sun peaked through the window and danced across Kenshin's face, waking him. *Why am I lying down* he wondered. Grabbing his sword, Kenshin quickly sat up, surveying the room. *Ah that's right, the monk convinced me to sleep in a bed* Then he noticed that Chichiri was gone. He shrugged; he didn't really care for the monk's company. *That's not true* his inner voice chided. He frowned in contemplation, he had felt more relaxed around the monk, almost as if he felt a bond with Chichiri. *As annoying as he was, I nearly smiled a few times. It's hard to be anything but happy around a guy like that, even for me.*
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Chichiri silently got out of bed, careful not to wake the sleeping hitokiri. He grabbed his kasa and stepped onto the kesa. He picked up his staff, making sure it didn't jingle, and took a deep breath. As he sank into the kesa, he looked at the redhead who was still asleep. "May Suzaku watch over you." he said softly. "I hope your scars heal faster than mine did, Kenshin." With that, he was gone. The kesa followed the staff until no trace of the monk and his things was left in the room.
Chichiri appeared in an empty field, where no one could see him, on the outskirts of the town. Putting on his kesa and kasa, he headed off down a path. Headed to wherever his feet would take him.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Kenshin stepped out onto the street, as he finished tying up his high ponytail. "Excuse me." he said to a passer-by. The person glanced at his sword and then hurried away. Kenshin sighed, he wasn't surprised, things like that happened more often than not. After 3 more tries he was beginning to think he would never get directions out of town. Suddenly he thought of the monk. Chichiri had seemed harmless, with his huge grin and constant no da-ing. But he had easily evaded Kenshin, the Hitokiri Battousai! He also seemed to have some strange magic at his disposal. Kenshin doubted that the monk was as harmless as he seemed. *I bet he isn't as clueless as I thought either* Kenshin thought. Then, inspiration struck. *I wonder. . .*
"Excuse me no da!" Kenshin said with a big grin to a woman passing him. She looked at him in surprise, glanced warily at his sword, and then back to him. "Yes?" she said nervously. *It's working!* Kenshin thought in surprise. "Could you direct me to the South Gate no da?" he asked, still grinning. "Oh, of course." The woman said with a relieved smile. "Just go down this street until you come to the fish seller. Turn right there and keep going. The South Gate is on that road, you can't miss it." she said. "Thank you very much no da!" he cried. Then he turned and headed down the road.
*I can't believe the difference in people's reactions. Am I really that intimidating? Or does saying something weird at the end of every sentence and grinning put people at ease?* Kenshin pondered as he walked. Before he knew it, he was on a small dirt road that went through a field. He knew it was a 2-day's walk to the next town, so he set a meandering pace for himself. He was in no hurry, and the stares in town made him uncomfortable. *Maybe I'll work on grinning and saying stupid things on the way* he thought, allowing himself a chuckle. He paused in surprise, his short time spend with the monk had begun a change in him. Talking to someone and having them concerned about him had had more of an effect on him than he thought it would. *Maybe that's what I need to help me heal, a friend.*
He followed the path into the woods and as sunset neared, began to look for a place to spend the night. Although the trees made it easy for him to hide, it also made it easier for people to sneak up on him. *There I go, thinking like a hitokiri again, nobody's after me anymore. Or at least nobody's following me, waiting for me to drop my guard* Kenshin thought. He finally found a rock outcropping. He could sit under it, and be protected on 2 sides and on top. He looked around to make sure he was alone, and then sat under the ledge. He had spent the whole day wondering how someone like Chichiri could be so happy so soon after the dark times. Kenshin had never thought he could be like that until he met Tomoe, now, he wondered if he could ever be like that again. With thoughts like that spinning in his head, he rested his chin on his chest and fell into a restless sleep.
~~~ He was hurt. Breathing hard he readied his sword and took a final swing at his opponent. There was a flash of movement. The sword hit his enemy, and the girl between them. "Tomoe!" Kenshin cried! He dropped his sword and caught her as she fell. ~~~
"No!" Kenshin gasped as he woke up. He sat in the brightening dawn light, under the rock outcropping. "Tomoe." He whispered into the morning. Feeling wetness on his cheek he raised his hand to find blood. He had scraped the scab off during his dream. Sighing he stood up and looked around. It was a beautiful morning, sunlight was gently streaming through the trees. *It's a wonderful day. Which is the opposite of how I feel* he thought bitterly. Making sure his sword was in place at his side, Kenshin headed back onto the path and went on his way, ignoring the blood slowly dripping from the reopened wound on his cheek.
"Well what do we have here?" asked a voice. Kenshin shook himself out of his thought. *Damn, how did they sneak up on me? Careless* he chided himself. A tall, unshaven man stepped out of the trees and onto the path in front of Kenshin. "Pay the toll or you don't pass." he said. "I have no money," Kenshin bluffed. "Just let me through." His senses told him he was being surrounded. *They don't stand a chance against me* he thought, feeling his blood rush at the thought of battle. *No, I won't kill. I have to talk my way out of this.*
"Well if you have no money, there are other ways to pay us. Pretty boy." the man said. Kenshin's eyes widened. "Pretty boy?" he asked angrily. The man threatening him looked too much like the one that he had been fighting when Tomoe died. The noon sun caught a glint of gold in his eyes. The circle closed around him. Kenshin tensed, trying to keep himself from drawing his sword. Then a hand tried to tug off his pants. He drew his sword and sent the offender flying in and instant. Losing himself to his anger and sorrow, his golden eyes narrowed as he looked at the rest of his opponents. They stood in shock for a moment, and then, "Get him!" the leader cried. They quickly drew their swords and rushed at him.
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu! Ryu Tsui Sen! Ryu Kan Sen! Dou Ryu Sen!" Battousai screamed as he attacked. Soon only the leader was left. Using his God- like speed, Battousai pinned him against a tree with the point of his sword at his throat. "I'll pay your toll. And the price is, your quick death!" he snarled. He eased his arms back, ready to thrust the sword into the man's throat, no one would run between them to be killed at this distance. In his mind, he wasn't killing a simple bandit, he was killing the man that had separated him from Tomoe.
The thought of Tomoe made him hesitate, wasn't there something he had sworn? Battousai couldn't think of it, it must not have been important. However his hesitation cost him, the bandit pulled a knife and stabbed into Kenshin's stomach. ~~~~~~~ Chichiri walked along the road through the woods. "Kantarii Roudo. Kono michi. Zutto, yukeba" he hummed. (a/n cookies to whoever knows where that song is from) He had found a stream the night before and had spent most of the morning fishing after he had woken up. Although streams still brought up sad memories, fishing relaxed him. He now walked along, pole slung over his shoulder and wearing his fishing hat. His staff was safely stored inside his kasa.
*It's a beautiful day* he thought as he walked. Suddenly he heard shouting, and the sounds of swords. "A fight." he gasped. He hurried towards the source of the sounds. "Ryu Kan Sen!" came a shout. Chichiri rounded a bend in the road to see several bandits, laid out unconscious on the road. A few more were fighting a redhead. Well, it looked more like having their butts kicked and handed to them by the redhead. *It's Kenshin!* he realized. "Dou Ryu Sen!" Battousai screamed, sending a slash of air at one of the two remaining bandits. Then he grabbed the last one and slammed him against a tree. Chichiri hurried closer.
"Your quick death!" He heard Kenshin say. He pulled back his sword, about to thrust it into the man's throat. Then as Chichiri watched in horror, the man stabbed Kenshin. "Kenshin!" Chichiri cried out, hurrying forward.
Snarling in pain and fury, Battousai prepared to kill the man whose knife was in his stomach. He glanced to the side to see a fisherman standing on the road. Battousai decided to ignore him, he would deal with the interfering fisherman later. He turned his attention back to the man he was about to kill.
When he looked back to the bandit Chichiri made up his mind and rushed forward. "Kenshin, stop!" he grabbed Kenshin's arm and kept him from stabbing the man. "Get out of here." Chichiri snarled at the man. Babbling something that sounded grateful, the man scampered away into the trees. Chichiri let go of Kenshin's arm. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded, swinging his sword at Chichiri.
Chichiri felt the sword hit his face and slice into his mask, but not his flesh. As Kenshin, still Battousai, came at him again, Chichiri raised his barrier. When the sword bounced off, Battousai stepped back glaring, trying to figure out how to get to the man inside. "Kenshin! Snap out of it! You're hurt, stop this!" Chichiri cried, seeing the strange look in Kenshin's eyes. "It's me no da!" he said. Kenshin blinked and hesitated. "You don't want to kill me no da!" Chichiri said, seeing the hesitation.
Kenshin shuddered and looked at his sword, then back at Chichiri. "Chi- Chichiri?" he whispered. Then he hissed in pain and clutched the wound, blood began to spread on the fabric under his hand. Dropping the barrier, Chichiri caught him as he began to fall. "Kenshin! Hang on no da!" Chichiri gasped.
