Kaoru's Concern

Back home in Tokyo, Kaoru sat outside on the porch looking at the moon. The worry built up in her so much that she couldn't sleep for the past two days. Kenshin should have arrived in Kyoto by now, she thought biting her lower lip. I hope they're both all right. Maybe Kenshin found her and are coming home. Or maybe he's hurt. Kaoru started laughing to herself. No, Kenshin wouldn't let himself get hurt so easily….Then again he is getting older. HE JUST BETTER HERE UP AND WRITE!

"YEAH KENSHIN YOU BETTER WRITE BACK HERE SOON!" Kaoru yelled into the night sky.

(ACHOO!-ACHOO!) Kenshin rubbed his nose. He looked up at the moon. It almost looked like Kaoru's face. He smiled.

Kenshin had spent most of the day looking around Odawara. He figured Kiriko couldn't have gotten that far. After awhile when he found no trace of her, he continued his walk along the Tokiado Trail. If I walk all-night I should be half way to Kyoto in the next two days…I hope Kaoru and the boys are all right.

"I miss you guys." Kenshin said to the moon.

Kaoru smiled. The moon almost looked like Kenshin's face.

"We miss you too." Kaoru finally went to bed. She slept well that night and dreamed that her family was all back together again.

Kyoto, at last!

YES! I finally made it. Kiriko laughed as she read the sign that said 'Welcome to Kyoto'. She made it in Kyoto by early afternoon. The streets were busy and the shops were packed. Kiriko was a little hungry so she jogged to a nearby fruit stand.

"May I have those three green apples, right there." She pointed.

"Sure thing, pretty lady." The man smiled and handed her the bag.

"Thank you." Kiriko paid him and turned to leave but then she remembered something. "Excuse me do you happen to know where Seiku Orai knife shop is located."

"Hhmm…no I'm not too familiar with that name. Sorry." The man shrugged.

"Oh ok…thanks anyway."

As Kiriko strolled through the streets, she ate an apple. After she ate, she asked a couple of more people to find out if they knew where the shop was but all the answers were the same. Kiriko was starting to get a little discouraged. She figured a shop like that would be on the main street. Kiriko turned a corner and saw a small crowd forming. She wanted to be nosy so she pushed through to see what was going on.

There were two petite girls about the age of fourteen in the middle of the circle. They both had dark brunette hair, sage green eyes and very loud voices. Kiriko thought they looked alike; as a matter of fact they were twins. They were yelling at some guys in uniform. One of the guys was holding a medium size bag.

"Why don't you give that back, you jerk!" The twins said in unison.

"Hey, watch who you're talking to you little runts! We're officers of the law! You better respect us or will take you to jail!" He barked in their faces.

"You're not real police-" " officers you're the Yagi Yakuza." One twin began the sentence and the other finished it.

"How dare you disrespect us like that!" Another officer said.

"Please! You don't have any-" "authority around here! You jerks are just a bunch-" "of thugs." They did it again. Kiriko started to giggle at the way they were talking but became serious when the men pulled out their swords. Everyone in the crowd started to back away.

"You're gonna pay for saying that you little brats!" The guy with the bag yelled. Kiriko assumed he was the leader.

The twins didn't seem scared about this at all. They actually started laughing.

"You need to show us more respect-" "our father is Aoshi Shinomori-" "head of the Oniwaban group."

Kiriko gasped, I knew they looked familiar. They're Aoshi's daughters. Mom mentioned them but I never met them before.

Some of the guys stepped back when they heard this information. The leader became very angry; "THESE LITTLE BRATS ARE LYING. GET THEM!"

Kiriko watched as ten men charged after them. The girls were amazing. They flipped, punched, kicked, and blocked all their attacks. Kiriko was very impressed but they were still outnumbered. Every one in the crowd just got out of their way and watched. Kiriko couldn't take it anymore. She decided to help out.

Two guys were coming up behind the twins. They were about to swing until…(SMACK!) (CRACK!) Both guys went flying in two different directions.

The twins turned around, "Who-" "are you?"

"I see you girls could use some help so…" she blocked (WACK!) another guy went flying, "I decided three is better than two."

The twins smiled then back flipped as three guys tried to rush them. Kiriko jabbed and caught the guy in the middle right between the eyes. The twins kicked the other two in the back of their heads.

It only took a few minutes until all ten men were lying on the ground. The other guys in the group started to run away. The leader, who didn't fight, threw the bag at one of the twins, "WE'LL GET YOU LITTLE BITCHES!" He screamed as he ran off with the others.

"GO ON! GET OUT OF HERE YOU ASSHOLE!" All three girls said in union. They began to laugh hysterically.

"Thanks for your help." The twins said in unison.

"Oh, it was no problem. Punks like that need a good ass kicking." Kiriko started to giggle.

"My name is Meshi." "And I'm Asao. What is your-" "name?"

I don't want to lie but I really don't want them to know who I am. They might tell their parents and they might tell my parents. "My name is …um…Kiko. It's nice to meet you."

"Yes, it's great to meet you too-" "Kiko." The twins smiled at her.

Kiriko smiled and asked, "Do you two always finish each other sentences?"

The twins laughed, "Yes. It drive's our father-" "crazy. He's always so serious all the time. So-" "we like to get him angry." "Yeah we're always playing-" "tricks on him and our mother-" "it's so funny." They both started to giggle mischievously.

Kiriko smiled and shook her head. "So what did those guys take from you." She asked pointing at the bag.

The twins looked at each other, "Um…we're sorry-" "we're not aloud to tell anyone."

Kiriko grinned, "Its okay. It's really none of my business anyway."

"So are you new-" "in Kyoto. We've never seen you-" "around before."

"Yes I am. I just got here today. This is my first time being here."

"Hey we can-" "show you around if you'd like." The twins started to pull on Kiriko's arms in two different directions.

"HEY, I'm not a rubber band, you know!" Kiriko laughed. They didn't realize what they were doing. They blushed and let go of her arms.

"Actually, I am looking for Seiku Orai's knife shop. You wouldn't happen to know where that is, do you?" Kiriko asked with uncertainty on her face but it soon disappeared when the twins nodded their heads.

"Yes we know-" "exactly where the-" "knife shop is located. Follow-" "us!" They ran off down a side road and Kiriko quickly followed behind them.

To Kiriko's surprise Seiku Orai's shop was no where near the market place. No wonder a lot of people never heard of the shop, she thought as they came towards the front steps. Kiriko thought it didn't look like a place of business at all but more like a shrine.

As the three girls walked up the stairs they heard some yelling in the distance.

"I SAID I WANT YOU TO MAKE US SWORDS LIKE YOUR FATHER DID!"

The girls ran up the stairs. They all stopped when they saw who was yelling. It was the same goons from the market place. The leader had a middle age guy with light brown hair and kind eyes by the collar of his gi. Kiriko guessed that was Seiku. Two other goons were holding, what appeared to be the Seiku's son, by the arms.

"I told you before! I don't make swords! And if I did I wouldn't sell them to YOU! NOW LET GO OF YORI!" Seiku yelled in the leader's face.

The leader punched him in the stomach and the man doubled over.

"DAD!" Yori yelled and struggled to get free.

"You're going to make our swords! Yes you will or we're going to kill your son!" The leader pulled out his sword and was about to slash Yori's throat until…

"NO THE HELL YOU WON'T!" Kiriko screamed.

The goons turned around, "Oh not you little brats again! GET THEM YOU IDIOTS! AND DON'T MESS UP THIS TIME!"

This time all the men charged at them. The girls went into action. When the goons let go of Yori, he ran over to check on his father then grab a nearby broom to help out the girls.

After a while most of the gang either ran away or was knocked out, except for the leader. He walked up and pulled out his sword.

"I want that little bitch in the middle!" He pointed his sword at Kiriko. "You think you're tough shit with that little stick! Come on and fight a real man you little SLUT!"

Kiriko charged at him but he moved quickly and swung at the back of her neck. She ducked and jabbed at his stomach but he jumped back. Then he started laughing. The twins gasped. Kiriko didn't understand what was going on until she looked at the bokken. It was cut down to the handle.

"HAHAHA! Now, what are you going to do you little bothersome bitch! HAHAHA!" The guy cackled menacingly.

Oh no, Kiriko thought, Kano's bokken. Tears started to weld up in her eyes.

The guy kept on laughing, "Oh now your gonna cry! HAHAHA!"

I promised to bring this back to him, Kiriko started to breathe heavier, I never break my promises. Her eyes started to flicker, "NEVER!" The guy stopped laughing and looked at Kiriko.

Instead of seeing tears in her eyes, he saw fire. Her eyes were burning amber and the wind around her started to blow madly. The leader looked at her with fear in his eyes. Who is this girl, he thought.

Kiriko held the handle of the sliced bokken tight. Then she pointed it at him with her arms straight out. Next she turned the handle and placed her hands around the ends so that the handle could show in the middle. Kiriko just stood like that ready for him to come at her.