Chapter One: A Completely Different Story
The forest was peaceful and the animals softly sang with the flow of the
river. Soujiro looked up to a clear, blue sky; another day of his journey
was becoming better by the moment.
"Soujiro!!"
"Huh!?" Soujiro turned around to see just who could possibly know who he
was or where he'd be. He smiled as he saw Karlia's brightly lit face,
eagerly running towards him from the distance.
But Soujiro's smile quickly turned upside down when she shouted "double-
sided snake fang!" She jumped into several positions before flying up and
falling head-first into Soujiro's arms.
"I've finally found you!" She said as she hugged him tightly.
"Miss Fujii, would you please stop it. People are starting to stare." He
said politely.
"Sssshhh. don't let 'them' hear you." She said finally letting go of him.
"And another thing, it's Karlia, alright."
She and Soujiro continued to walk along. But not long after someone had
seen Karlia's sword. The sword had an odd symbol painted on the handle.
This was quickly recognized by a few people. As they walked into the next
town, people started to whisper.
"Oh my goodness!" someone yelled from behind them. Both Soujiro and Karlia
turned around quickly, thinking the worst. (Though, it just happened to be
one of Karlia's crazed fans.) "Ka- Ka- Karlia Fujii! You're Karlia Fujii,
the one who single-handedly won the Asian sword exhibition for Japan." She
stammered.
"I told you someone would find out sooner or later." Karlia whispered to
Soujiro.
"What should we do?" Soujiro whispered back.
Just before she could answer, more people came and crowded around them. A
few moments later, Soujiro was pushed away by some of the people.
"Soujiro, hey, mateo!" Karlia screamed trying to get away from the crowd.
"Sir," One person said to Soujiro, "I may not look like it, but I'm
actually a reporter for 'Japanese Sports Unlimited'. The sports news in the
paper. Anyway, I hope you don't mind me asking but, are you Ms. Fujii's
boyfriend?"
"Wha- What!?" Soujiro slowly said. "We're just friends. Really old friends"
"(Heh) Uh, Okay. Thanks for your time." Said the reporter as she left.
"Who was that Soujiro?" Karlia asked.
"Just a reporter," Soujiro answered.
"What exactly did she say?"
"Well . . ." just before Soujiro could answer, a few more people started
running after Karlia. They had passed two villages before they had gotten
rid of the crowd.
* * * * "Now that they're gone, we can finally go home." Karlia said. (Sounding relieved) "Home?" Soujiro asked "You're forgetting one thing, I'm a criminal. I just can't go walking down the streets." "Heh, its all been taken care of." Karlia told him. "You're free to go around but, YOU always have to be in close range of ME!" Karlia said with a smirk. "Well, I guess that's fair." He replied. "Where exactly is 'home'?" "In a forest near Kyoto." She said dragging him along. As night fell Soujiro and Karlia decided to camp out for the time being. "Hey Soujiro," Karlia said sitting down beside Soujiro. "Do you think if those things hadn't happened on that time we wouldn't be the way we are now?" "Honestly, I wouldn't know. . ." Soujiro replied. "We should get some sleep now."
* * * * * "Hurry Soujiro!" Karlia said running up the mountain path. "It's not that far away!" "I'd go faster but, the sun is really bright." Soujiro said lagging behind. They reached the top of the mountain to a house with a European design. Karlia was running around, apparently searching for something, looking under every rock and hole. Soujiro then noticed a silver object beside a bush. "Miss Karlia, is this by any chance what you're looking for?" He said holding the silver object up to her. "But, how . . . and you . . . it was just . . . Whatever. Thanks." She said in a weird way. As they entered the house resembled a normal Japanese home. The house, that also looked small from the outside, was quite spacious. "I'll take you to your room and then be ready to go to town." Karlia said rushing.
* * * * "Where are we going now Karlia?" Soujiro said. He noticed that they were heading towards the residential area. "Are we visiting someone?" "Yep, we'll be visiting for quite awhile." ~~~At the Kamiya dojo~~~ "Kaoru! You'll never guess who I saw on the way here!?" Megumi said. "Slow down Megumi. If you keep that up you might pass out." Kaoru said. "So who did you see coming here?" "This guy really must be important," Sanosuke said. "Megumi's in quite a hurry, who could this guy be? I'd say he's an important government official on his way to see Kenshin." "For your information Sano! It's nothing like that. I saw one of the best athletes in Japan, Karlia Fujii! She was in the news the other day." Megumi argued. Just then Kenshin came out with Yahiko. "What's going on?" Kenshin asked. "Do we have a visitor?" "Kenshin, I saw a sports icon on my way here!" Megumi said. "Her name is Karlia Fujii. Do you know her?" "The name does sound familiar, but I'm not sure." Kenshin said. "Wow, I'm even known to the famous Batousai the slasher." Someone said from behind. It was Karlia. "Let me rephrase myself, its Kenshin Himura now, right?" "Long time no see, Mr. Himura." Soujiro said from behind. "Soujiro! What are you doing here!?" Sanosuke demanded. "He's been released into the custody of one Karlia Fujii. Sort of rehabilitation." Misao said coming from the roof. "Where did you come from!?" Sanosuke yelled. "Can we get back to the topic of there being a guest in the dojo!?" Kaoru said. "Ms. Karlia would you like to come inside?" "Thank you, Miss." Karlia replied. "Come Soujiro."
* * * * * "So Kenshin, how long have you been here?" Karlia asked. "Well, for more than a year I'd say," Kenshin replied. "Why do you ask?" "Nothing, it's just that Ms. Kaoru resembles Tomoe . . ." Karlia said. "And that little boy looks like Enishi . . ." "How . . . how do you know Tomoe and Enishi!?" Kenshin asked. "I'm a friend to master Katsura as well . . ." Karlia told him. "Oops, forgive me Mr. Himura . . . I forgot, you didn't like to be reminded of your past." Karlia apologized. "I should know." "So, this is Soujiro Seta of the Jupan Getana . . ." Kaoru said trying to change the subject. "Soujiro wants to atone for what he's done before. Isn't that right Soujiro?" Karlia said. "Does Soujiro even talk?" Yahiko said butting in. "Bit your tongue Yahiko! It's rude to say things like that!" Kaoru exclaimed. "Excuse Yahiko, Soujiro. He has the tendency to be rude to anybody." "Ha ha, his childish shortcomings remind me a lot of both Kamatari and Cho." Soujiro replied. "Either that, or when Karlia doesn't eat at a specific time." "Hey, Soujiro! That was a mean thing to say! " Karlia complained. "You act pretty childish yourself." "Come on you two . . ." Kenshin said. "Any more of this and we'll have to separate you two." "You can't do that, I'm afraid." Misao told him. "Soujiro will be arrested if Karlia's not watching him." "You're very well informed miss. Are you by any chance Miss Misao Makimachi?" Karlia asked. "New leader of the onee gang."
* * * * "Now that they're gone, we can finally go home." Karlia said. (Sounding relieved) "Home?" Soujiro asked "You're forgetting one thing, I'm a criminal. I just can't go walking down the streets." "Heh, its all been taken care of." Karlia told him. "You're free to go around but, YOU always have to be in close range of ME!" Karlia said with a smirk. "Well, I guess that's fair." He replied. "Where exactly is 'home'?" "In a forest near Kyoto." She said dragging him along. As night fell Soujiro and Karlia decided to camp out for the time being. "Hey Soujiro," Karlia said sitting down beside Soujiro. "Do you think if those things hadn't happened on that time we wouldn't be the way we are now?" "Honestly, I wouldn't know. . ." Soujiro replied. "We should get some sleep now."
* * * * * "Hurry Soujiro!" Karlia said running up the mountain path. "It's not that far away!" "I'd go faster but, the sun is really bright." Soujiro said lagging behind. They reached the top of the mountain to a house with a European design. Karlia was running around, apparently searching for something, looking under every rock and hole. Soujiro then noticed a silver object beside a bush. "Miss Karlia, is this by any chance what you're looking for?" He said holding the silver object up to her. "But, how . . . and you . . . it was just . . . Whatever. Thanks." She said in a weird way. As they entered the house resembled a normal Japanese home. The house, that also looked small from the outside, was quite spacious. "I'll take you to your room and then be ready to go to town." Karlia said rushing.
* * * * "Where are we going now Karlia?" Soujiro said. He noticed that they were heading towards the residential area. "Are we visiting someone?" "Yep, we'll be visiting for quite awhile." ~~~At the Kamiya dojo~~~ "Kaoru! You'll never guess who I saw on the way here!?" Megumi said. "Slow down Megumi. If you keep that up you might pass out." Kaoru said. "So who did you see coming here?" "This guy really must be important," Sanosuke said. "Megumi's in quite a hurry, who could this guy be? I'd say he's an important government official on his way to see Kenshin." "For your information Sano! It's nothing like that. I saw one of the best athletes in Japan, Karlia Fujii! She was in the news the other day." Megumi argued. Just then Kenshin came out with Yahiko. "What's going on?" Kenshin asked. "Do we have a visitor?" "Kenshin, I saw a sports icon on my way here!" Megumi said. "Her name is Karlia Fujii. Do you know her?" "The name does sound familiar, but I'm not sure." Kenshin said. "Wow, I'm even known to the famous Batousai the slasher." Someone said from behind. It was Karlia. "Let me rephrase myself, its Kenshin Himura now, right?" "Long time no see, Mr. Himura." Soujiro said from behind. "Soujiro! What are you doing here!?" Sanosuke demanded. "He's been released into the custody of one Karlia Fujii. Sort of rehabilitation." Misao said coming from the roof. "Where did you come from!?" Sanosuke yelled. "Can we get back to the topic of there being a guest in the dojo!?" Kaoru said. "Ms. Karlia would you like to come inside?" "Thank you, Miss." Karlia replied. "Come Soujiro."
* * * * * "So Kenshin, how long have you been here?" Karlia asked. "Well, for more than a year I'd say," Kenshin replied. "Why do you ask?" "Nothing, it's just that Ms. Kaoru resembles Tomoe . . ." Karlia said. "And that little boy looks like Enishi . . ." "How . . . how do you know Tomoe and Enishi!?" Kenshin asked. "I'm a friend to master Katsura as well . . ." Karlia told him. "Oops, forgive me Mr. Himura . . . I forgot, you didn't like to be reminded of your past." Karlia apologized. "I should know." "So, this is Soujiro Seta of the Jupan Getana . . ." Kaoru said trying to change the subject. "Soujiro wants to atone for what he's done before. Isn't that right Soujiro?" Karlia said. "Does Soujiro even talk?" Yahiko said butting in. "Bit your tongue Yahiko! It's rude to say things like that!" Kaoru exclaimed. "Excuse Yahiko, Soujiro. He has the tendency to be rude to anybody." "Ha ha, his childish shortcomings remind me a lot of both Kamatari and Cho." Soujiro replied. "Either that, or when Karlia doesn't eat at a specific time." "Hey, Soujiro! That was a mean thing to say! " Karlia complained. "You act pretty childish yourself." "Come on you two . . ." Kenshin said. "Any more of this and we'll have to separate you two." "You can't do that, I'm afraid." Misao told him. "Soujiro will be arrested if Karlia's not watching him." "You're very well informed miss. Are you by any chance Miss Misao Makimachi?" Karlia asked. "New leader of the onee gang."