NOTICE - PLEASE READ - VERY IMPORTANT
I haven't rewritten this chapter yet, but I don't want to remove the story, so I'll replace it when the new chapter is written. You can read it if you want, but it's going to be a lot different and may conflict with (if not totally contradict) events in the newly updated chapter one. So if you read it, just realize that it's going to be super different soon and you may get confused. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kenshin woke up and realized something was wrong. He closed his eyes quickly and faked sleep as he took in his surroundings. He was lying on his back, someone was sitting nearby, and he was in a forest. He could hear a stream somewhere very close. Then he realized he was hurt too. He tried to recall what had happened.
"I know you're awake no da." came a cheery voice. Kenshin opened his eyes to see Chichiri sitting on a rock by the side of the stream, fishing. "Chichiri? Why are you here?" he asked. "You got hurt so I fixed you up no da." Chichiri said calmly. "Feeling better?" he asked. Kenshin nodded and slowly sat up. His shirt had been removed and a gash along his side had been wrapped in a bandage.
"Thanks." He said. Chichiri turned and grinned, "No problem no da." He regarded Kenshin for a moment. "You fight even better than I thought you did no da." he said. Kenshin looked at the bandage and frowned slightly. "I was careless." he mumbled. "Well there were a lot of bandits no da." Came the answer. "I've never actually used this against so many." he said awkwardly, gesturing to the sword still attached to his waist. "I'm not used to it yet. That's why one of them got me." Chichiri nodded. "It must be strange to use a sakabatou no da." he said. Kenshin nodded. "That it is." He hoped Chichiri wouldn't probe further.
"Must be very strange, especially for a hitokiri no da." Chichiri continued. "That it is." Kenshin said again. Chichiri nodded, understanding that Kenshin didn't want to talk about it. *Yet* he thought. He turned back to his fishing. "Are you hungry no da?" he asked, changing the subject much to Kenshin's relief. "Have you caught any?" Kenshin said craning his head to see if there were any fish by Chichiri. "Not yet no da." he answered.
Kenshin carefully stood up and walked over to stand by Chichiri's rock. He looked into the shallow stream; it seemed rather empty. "Are there even fish here?" he asked. Chichiri turned to him and smiled. "I don't know no da!" the monk said, not sounding bothered by that fact. Had he not been wounded, Kenshin would have fallen over. However Chichiri's good mood seemed contagious and Kenshin felt a small grin coming. He wanted to comment but wasn't sure what to say, so he opted for, "Daaaa." Chichiri looked at him in surprise and laughed. Kenshin hesitantly smiled, then quickly looked back at the water.
"Here you go no da." Chichiri said a moment later. Kenshin looked up to see the monk offering him a rice ball. He nodded his thanks and took it. As he ate Kenshin surreptitiously watched the monk. *How does he stay so happy and carefree?* he wondered. Then he noticed a large chunk of skin hanging off Chichiri's cheek. It looked like it had been done by a sword. "Did I do that?" he asked sadly. Chichiri turned. "Did you do what no da?" Kenshin pointed to the skin. "Oh that, yes you did no da." Chichiri answered.
"Does it hurt?" Kenshin asked guiltily. Chichiri shook his head. "Want me to bandage it or something?" Kenshin asked, wanting to make up for hurting the monk. "Don't worry. I have a spare no da!" Chichiri said brightly. Having said that, he reached up and pulled off his face. Kenshin's eyes widened in shock at the identical grinning face beneath it. "A mask?" he asked in surprise. Chichiri nodded. "Why do you wear a mask?" Kenshin asked curiously. "Why do you use a sakabatou?" Chichiri countered.
Kenshin nodded falling silent again. *So he has some secrets too* he thought. "I cleaned the blood off your cheek no da. But it's a deep cut, there will be a scar no da." Chichiri said. Kenshin nodded. "I want there to be a scar." He stopped himself before he said more. *Why did I tell him that?* he wondered. "Sometimes scars serve as reminders of our past." Chichiri said. Kenshin looked at him in surprise. The monk had known that Kenshin wanted a scar to always remind him of his mistake. But the monk had figured it out so quickly. Kenshin was tempted to ask how, but decided that he might reveal more than he wanted to if he did.
"Well I'm going to continue on my way no da. I'd like to reach the next town by tomorrow. You can come along if you like no da." Chichiri said. Kenshin shook his head. "I'd rather be alone." he said. Chichiri stood and bowed. "Goodbye then no da." He headed off along the stream. Kenshin watched for a moment and then looked for his shirt. Finding it, he put it on and then headed after the monk. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Change your mind no da?" Chichiri asked, hearing footsteps behind him. He slowed and Kenshin picked up his pace until they were walking side by side. "I just happen to be heading this way." he said. Chichiri said nothing and the two walked in silence for a nearly an hour.
"Watch out!" Kenshin cried suddenly. He jumped in front of the startled monk and quickly twirling his sword, blocked the numerous daggers flying towards them. "Daaaa!" Chichiri said in awe. "We're surrounded no da." he hissed as he sensed more people gathering behind them. He turned and put his back to Kenshin. "Don't over do it, you're hurt no da." he added. "I know." Kenshin whispered back. The man who had thrown the daggers stepped forward. It was the same bandit Chichiri had let escape earlier.
"I see you have a friend now Pretty Boy. However I have a few friends now too." he said. As he spoke a large group of men came through the trees. "It's the local yakuza." Kenshin said. "We can take them no da." Chichiri whispered back. "On the count of Rou." he said. Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Of Rou?" he asked skeptically. "Baka yarou!" Chichiri said, lunging forward on the last syllable. "Oro!" Kenshin squeaked as one of the yakuza suddenly charged him.
Keeping an eye on Chichiri as he fought, Kenshin was surprised to see the monk easily holding his own. Kenshin could feel Battousai coming as he fought. He tried to hold him back and suddenly, "Daaa!" came a yell. A bandit that Chichiri had tossed with his staff flew by and hit the one Kenshin was fighting. To Kenshin's surprise, Battousai was pushed back down by the monk's outburst. As the fight went on Kenshin noticed that every time he was about to become Battousai, Chichiri would let loose another "Da!" Before he realized it, the 2 of them were standing in a circle, surrounded by unconscious bandits, and he was still Kenshin.
Chichiri turned and grinned at him. "What was that you said before the fight started?" he asked. "Oh, rou." Kenshin answered. Chichiri laughed. "Sounded more like 'oro' no da." he said. "You should say that more often, its funny no da." Kenshin frowned. "Oro." he deadpanned. Chichiri laughed again. "Were you doing that deliberately?" Kenshin asked as the pair resumed their walking.
Chichiri knew what he meant. "Yes. I tried to startle you whenever your aura started changing no da." he said. Kenshin was surprised. "Thanks." he said. "We make a good team no da." Chichiri said, glancing back at the yakuza on the ground behind them. "That we do." Kenshin agreed with a small chuckle. ~~~~~~~
"So, you're not a hitokiri anymore I take it no da." Chichiri said suddenly, breaking the silence. Kenshin paused for a moment, then continued walking. "I've vowed never to kill again." he said softly. Much to his relief, Chichiri didn't ask why. "You'd look less like one without the high ponytail no da." Chichiri said, changing the subject completely. Kenshin looked at him in surprise. "That I would. But I don't want to put it down, it gets in my way." he answered. "You could put it like mine no da." Chichiri said gesturing to his hair.
"I don't think my bangs will do that." Kenshin said, trying out a joke. Being with the smiling monk made him feel like a load had been lifted. Even Tomoe's death didn't seem to hurt as much. Chichiri laughed. "I just meant the ponytail no da." Kenshin didn't answer, but instead undid his high ponytail and pulled it up lower down. "It is more comfortable." He admitted. Chichiri nodded in approval. ~~~~~~~~~
"That was an amazing thing you did no da." Chichiri said, breaking the silence once more. "What was?" Kenshin asked. "When you blocked the daggers by spinning your sword no da." Chichiri answered. "Oh that. It's not that hard." Kenshin said with a shrug. "Would you teach me no da?" Chichiri asked. Kenshin looked at him in surprise. "I feel like I'm going to need to know how to do it someday no da." Chichiri said. "Well, I guess I can." Kenshin said. The two continued walking in silence until it was broken again, this time by Kenshin.
"It's starting to get dark, we should find a place to spend the night." he said. Chichiri agreed and the two left the path in search of shelter. They found another stream surrounded by rocks. "How's this?" Chichiri asked, pointing to a scoop in a large rock. It was so deep it was nearly a cave. "That's fine that it is!" Kenshin said. "It's going to rain, good thing we'll have something over us."
The wanderers sat under the overhang, watching the dark settle. Soon the splashing of raindrops could be heard. By the time it was dark, it was pouring. Suddenly, a light flared up. Kenshin looked in surprise as Chichiri set the light on the ground between them. "A little trick I do no da." he said with a grin. "That's useful." Kenshin said.
"Are you going anywhere particular?" Chichiri asked. "Anywhere but Kyoto." Kenshin answered. "What about you?" he said, avoiding saying more. "Anywhere my feet take me no da." Chichiri answered. "I'll head back to Konan someday, when I'm called no da." he said. Kenshin looked at him curiously. "You came all the way from Konan? What are you doing here?" Chichiri shrugged. "I've always wanted to visit Japan no da." he said. Then Kenshin remembered something odd that Chichiri had said. "What do you mean, called?" he asked.
"I'm a warrior of the god Suzaku no da." Chichiri answered. Kenshin looked skeptical. "Why? Because you have the same name as one of the constellations?" he asked jokingly. "My real name is Ri Houjun. Chichiri is my seishi name no da." Chichiri said. "Really?" Kenshin asked. Chichiri rolled up his right pant leg. After passing his knee he stopped. "See?" he asked. As Kenshin watched, a red symbol became visible. His eyes widened. Chichiri rolled his pants back down. "When the Suzaku no Miko comes, then I will be called back to Konan no da." he said. "Is that why you can do all that stuff?" Kenshin asked, looking at Chichiri's kasa, which was on the ground beside him.
Chichiri nodded. "I decided to wander until I'm called no da." he said. "Your turn no da." he said cheerily. Kenshin blinked. "For what?"
"Tell me something about you no da." Chichiri said. Kenshin shrugged. "I was a hitokiri and I recently vowed never to kill. Now I'm a wanderer." he answered. Chichiri chuckled. "I already knew all that no da." he said. "That you did." Kenshin agreed. The two sat in silence again. "Battousai." Kenshin said suddenly. He didn't know why, but something made him want to confide in the monk. Chichiri turned away from the rain and looked at Kenshin. "What did you say?" he asked. Kenshin bit his lip and looked away. "I was the Hitokiri Battousai." he admitted.
"That explains your skill level no da." Chichiri said, looking back at the rain. "Aren't you afraid of me now?" Kenshin asked in surprise. Chichiri turned to him again. "Why should I be? You were the same person you are now before you said that no da." he said. "But I've killed!" Kenshin said. "I'm a warrior, I'll have to kill someday too no da." Chichiri said calmly. "I even killed Tomoe." Kenshin blurted. His eyes widened and he clapped a hand over his mouth. Chichiri said nothing, but reached up and took off his mask.
Kenshin stared in shock as Chichiri turned to face him. Chichiri's left eye was scarred shut by a wicked scar that ran down the middle of it and across his face. "We have a lot in common I think." Chichiri said softly. He carefully replaced his mask. Then as soon as the mask was on, he grinned. "Let's get some sleep no da. You can teach me that spinning thing before we reach town tomorrow no da." he said cheerfully. Kenshin could only nod in surprise. The two lay down, and were soon asleep.
I haven't rewritten this chapter yet, but I don't want to remove the story, so I'll replace it when the new chapter is written. You can read it if you want, but it's going to be a lot different and may conflict with (if not totally contradict) events in the newly updated chapter one. So if you read it, just realize that it's going to be super different soon and you may get confused. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kenshin woke up and realized something was wrong. He closed his eyes quickly and faked sleep as he took in his surroundings. He was lying on his back, someone was sitting nearby, and he was in a forest. He could hear a stream somewhere very close. Then he realized he was hurt too. He tried to recall what had happened.
"I know you're awake no da." came a cheery voice. Kenshin opened his eyes to see Chichiri sitting on a rock by the side of the stream, fishing. "Chichiri? Why are you here?" he asked. "You got hurt so I fixed you up no da." Chichiri said calmly. "Feeling better?" he asked. Kenshin nodded and slowly sat up. His shirt had been removed and a gash along his side had been wrapped in a bandage.
"Thanks." He said. Chichiri turned and grinned, "No problem no da." He regarded Kenshin for a moment. "You fight even better than I thought you did no da." he said. Kenshin looked at the bandage and frowned slightly. "I was careless." he mumbled. "Well there were a lot of bandits no da." Came the answer. "I've never actually used this against so many." he said awkwardly, gesturing to the sword still attached to his waist. "I'm not used to it yet. That's why one of them got me." Chichiri nodded. "It must be strange to use a sakabatou no da." he said. Kenshin nodded. "That it is." He hoped Chichiri wouldn't probe further.
"Must be very strange, especially for a hitokiri no da." Chichiri continued. "That it is." Kenshin said again. Chichiri nodded, understanding that Kenshin didn't want to talk about it. *Yet* he thought. He turned back to his fishing. "Are you hungry no da?" he asked, changing the subject much to Kenshin's relief. "Have you caught any?" Kenshin said craning his head to see if there were any fish by Chichiri. "Not yet no da." he answered.
Kenshin carefully stood up and walked over to stand by Chichiri's rock. He looked into the shallow stream; it seemed rather empty. "Are there even fish here?" he asked. Chichiri turned to him and smiled. "I don't know no da!" the monk said, not sounding bothered by that fact. Had he not been wounded, Kenshin would have fallen over. However Chichiri's good mood seemed contagious and Kenshin felt a small grin coming. He wanted to comment but wasn't sure what to say, so he opted for, "Daaaa." Chichiri looked at him in surprise and laughed. Kenshin hesitantly smiled, then quickly looked back at the water.
"Here you go no da." Chichiri said a moment later. Kenshin looked up to see the monk offering him a rice ball. He nodded his thanks and took it. As he ate Kenshin surreptitiously watched the monk. *How does he stay so happy and carefree?* he wondered. Then he noticed a large chunk of skin hanging off Chichiri's cheek. It looked like it had been done by a sword. "Did I do that?" he asked sadly. Chichiri turned. "Did you do what no da?" Kenshin pointed to the skin. "Oh that, yes you did no da." Chichiri answered.
"Does it hurt?" Kenshin asked guiltily. Chichiri shook his head. "Want me to bandage it or something?" Kenshin asked, wanting to make up for hurting the monk. "Don't worry. I have a spare no da!" Chichiri said brightly. Having said that, he reached up and pulled off his face. Kenshin's eyes widened in shock at the identical grinning face beneath it. "A mask?" he asked in surprise. Chichiri nodded. "Why do you wear a mask?" Kenshin asked curiously. "Why do you use a sakabatou?" Chichiri countered.
Kenshin nodded falling silent again. *So he has some secrets too* he thought. "I cleaned the blood off your cheek no da. But it's a deep cut, there will be a scar no da." Chichiri said. Kenshin nodded. "I want there to be a scar." He stopped himself before he said more. *Why did I tell him that?* he wondered. "Sometimes scars serve as reminders of our past." Chichiri said. Kenshin looked at him in surprise. The monk had known that Kenshin wanted a scar to always remind him of his mistake. But the monk had figured it out so quickly. Kenshin was tempted to ask how, but decided that he might reveal more than he wanted to if he did.
"Well I'm going to continue on my way no da. I'd like to reach the next town by tomorrow. You can come along if you like no da." Chichiri said. Kenshin shook his head. "I'd rather be alone." he said. Chichiri stood and bowed. "Goodbye then no da." He headed off along the stream. Kenshin watched for a moment and then looked for his shirt. Finding it, he put it on and then headed after the monk. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Change your mind no da?" Chichiri asked, hearing footsteps behind him. He slowed and Kenshin picked up his pace until they were walking side by side. "I just happen to be heading this way." he said. Chichiri said nothing and the two walked in silence for a nearly an hour.
"Watch out!" Kenshin cried suddenly. He jumped in front of the startled monk and quickly twirling his sword, blocked the numerous daggers flying towards them. "Daaaa!" Chichiri said in awe. "We're surrounded no da." he hissed as he sensed more people gathering behind them. He turned and put his back to Kenshin. "Don't over do it, you're hurt no da." he added. "I know." Kenshin whispered back. The man who had thrown the daggers stepped forward. It was the same bandit Chichiri had let escape earlier.
"I see you have a friend now Pretty Boy. However I have a few friends now too." he said. As he spoke a large group of men came through the trees. "It's the local yakuza." Kenshin said. "We can take them no da." Chichiri whispered back. "On the count of Rou." he said. Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Of Rou?" he asked skeptically. "Baka yarou!" Chichiri said, lunging forward on the last syllable. "Oro!" Kenshin squeaked as one of the yakuza suddenly charged him.
Keeping an eye on Chichiri as he fought, Kenshin was surprised to see the monk easily holding his own. Kenshin could feel Battousai coming as he fought. He tried to hold him back and suddenly, "Daaa!" came a yell. A bandit that Chichiri had tossed with his staff flew by and hit the one Kenshin was fighting. To Kenshin's surprise, Battousai was pushed back down by the monk's outburst. As the fight went on Kenshin noticed that every time he was about to become Battousai, Chichiri would let loose another "Da!" Before he realized it, the 2 of them were standing in a circle, surrounded by unconscious bandits, and he was still Kenshin.
Chichiri turned and grinned at him. "What was that you said before the fight started?" he asked. "Oh, rou." Kenshin answered. Chichiri laughed. "Sounded more like 'oro' no da." he said. "You should say that more often, its funny no da." Kenshin frowned. "Oro." he deadpanned. Chichiri laughed again. "Were you doing that deliberately?" Kenshin asked as the pair resumed their walking.
Chichiri knew what he meant. "Yes. I tried to startle you whenever your aura started changing no da." he said. Kenshin was surprised. "Thanks." he said. "We make a good team no da." Chichiri said, glancing back at the yakuza on the ground behind them. "That we do." Kenshin agreed with a small chuckle. ~~~~~~~
"So, you're not a hitokiri anymore I take it no da." Chichiri said suddenly, breaking the silence. Kenshin paused for a moment, then continued walking. "I've vowed never to kill again." he said softly. Much to his relief, Chichiri didn't ask why. "You'd look less like one without the high ponytail no da." Chichiri said, changing the subject completely. Kenshin looked at him in surprise. "That I would. But I don't want to put it down, it gets in my way." he answered. "You could put it like mine no da." Chichiri said gesturing to his hair.
"I don't think my bangs will do that." Kenshin said, trying out a joke. Being with the smiling monk made him feel like a load had been lifted. Even Tomoe's death didn't seem to hurt as much. Chichiri laughed. "I just meant the ponytail no da." Kenshin didn't answer, but instead undid his high ponytail and pulled it up lower down. "It is more comfortable." He admitted. Chichiri nodded in approval. ~~~~~~~~~
"That was an amazing thing you did no da." Chichiri said, breaking the silence once more. "What was?" Kenshin asked. "When you blocked the daggers by spinning your sword no da." Chichiri answered. "Oh that. It's not that hard." Kenshin said with a shrug. "Would you teach me no da?" Chichiri asked. Kenshin looked at him in surprise. "I feel like I'm going to need to know how to do it someday no da." Chichiri said. "Well, I guess I can." Kenshin said. The two continued walking in silence until it was broken again, this time by Kenshin.
"It's starting to get dark, we should find a place to spend the night." he said. Chichiri agreed and the two left the path in search of shelter. They found another stream surrounded by rocks. "How's this?" Chichiri asked, pointing to a scoop in a large rock. It was so deep it was nearly a cave. "That's fine that it is!" Kenshin said. "It's going to rain, good thing we'll have something over us."
The wanderers sat under the overhang, watching the dark settle. Soon the splashing of raindrops could be heard. By the time it was dark, it was pouring. Suddenly, a light flared up. Kenshin looked in surprise as Chichiri set the light on the ground between them. "A little trick I do no da." he said with a grin. "That's useful." Kenshin said.
"Are you going anywhere particular?" Chichiri asked. "Anywhere but Kyoto." Kenshin answered. "What about you?" he said, avoiding saying more. "Anywhere my feet take me no da." Chichiri answered. "I'll head back to Konan someday, when I'm called no da." he said. Kenshin looked at him curiously. "You came all the way from Konan? What are you doing here?" Chichiri shrugged. "I've always wanted to visit Japan no da." he said. Then Kenshin remembered something odd that Chichiri had said. "What do you mean, called?" he asked.
"I'm a warrior of the god Suzaku no da." Chichiri answered. Kenshin looked skeptical. "Why? Because you have the same name as one of the constellations?" he asked jokingly. "My real name is Ri Houjun. Chichiri is my seishi name no da." Chichiri said. "Really?" Kenshin asked. Chichiri rolled up his right pant leg. After passing his knee he stopped. "See?" he asked. As Kenshin watched, a red symbol became visible. His eyes widened. Chichiri rolled his pants back down. "When the Suzaku no Miko comes, then I will be called back to Konan no da." he said. "Is that why you can do all that stuff?" Kenshin asked, looking at Chichiri's kasa, which was on the ground beside him.
Chichiri nodded. "I decided to wander until I'm called no da." he said. "Your turn no da." he said cheerily. Kenshin blinked. "For what?"
"Tell me something about you no da." Chichiri said. Kenshin shrugged. "I was a hitokiri and I recently vowed never to kill. Now I'm a wanderer." he answered. Chichiri chuckled. "I already knew all that no da." he said. "That you did." Kenshin agreed. The two sat in silence again. "Battousai." Kenshin said suddenly. He didn't know why, but something made him want to confide in the monk. Chichiri turned away from the rain and looked at Kenshin. "What did you say?" he asked. Kenshin bit his lip and looked away. "I was the Hitokiri Battousai." he admitted.
"That explains your skill level no da." Chichiri said, looking back at the rain. "Aren't you afraid of me now?" Kenshin asked in surprise. Chichiri turned to him again. "Why should I be? You were the same person you are now before you said that no da." he said. "But I've killed!" Kenshin said. "I'm a warrior, I'll have to kill someday too no da." Chichiri said calmly. "I even killed Tomoe." Kenshin blurted. His eyes widened and he clapped a hand over his mouth. Chichiri said nothing, but reached up and took off his mask.
Kenshin stared in shock as Chichiri turned to face him. Chichiri's left eye was scarred shut by a wicked scar that ran down the middle of it and across his face. "We have a lot in common I think." Chichiri said softly. He carefully replaced his mask. Then as soon as the mask was on, he grinned. "Let's get some sleep no da. You can teach me that spinning thing before we reach town tomorrow no da." he said cheerfully. Kenshin could only nod in surprise. The two lay down, and were soon asleep.
