okay, so I'm going against myself by posting this anyways, but hey.what am I to do? school work is done. my parents are watching football and I'm really, really, bored. Not that there's other stuff I couldn't be doing right now (a.k.a. clean room, ect.) this seems to be the better alternative ^_^

Chapter 12

Train Rides and Trickery

Kaiya stood outside the Tokyo train yard, her hair, now tied back in a ponytail, swished in the slight early morning breeze. She shivered, pulling the brim of her cone shaped hat down further concealing her eyes. She studied her train ticket awhile, hoping to pass the minutes by.

Her gaze shifted from the ticket to her clothes. She could not believe that Lord Toshi had made her stoop to this level. First they stole the official passes and train tickets from the police, leaving counterfeit ones for Kenshin, Sano, Karou and Yahiko; and now she was imitating her brother. From first glance one could even say that she was Kenshin Himoura. The only difference in dress was the fact that she wore her navy blue ninja outfit underneath her disguise. The high collared shirt that she also wore came up past her jacket, keeping her warm and helping disguise the one obvious trait of her body that set her apart from Kenshin.

The train whistle blew and she headed for the platform, her sword, also almost identical to Kenshin's, banged against her leg as she walked. "Clunk. Clunk. Clunk." It made a muffled noise each time it struck.

Then Kaiya froze. Shoving the hat farther down on her head she cautiously approached the chief of police with her pass allowing her to travel with the emperor. He glanced at the pass and stared her down. She wished she could shrink, remain unnoticed. She sighed a sigh of relief as the wise man's eyes crinkled with acceptance and smiled. "I'm glad that you will be traveling with us Battousai, will any one else be coming with you?"

Kaiya quickly shook her head no before climbing into the train car and settling in to one of the comfy seats. She felt a weight drop on her heart. "Why did the man refer to me, or my brother, as Battousai? Isn't that the legendary manslayer? But how can that be? Kenshin wouldn't hurt a fly." Kaiya pondered as she leaned against the window, waiting for the journey to begin so it could soon end.

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"C'mon Yahiko, we're going to be late! Now we'll have to run all the way to the station!" Karou yelled at he student for at least the 10th time that morning.

"Well maybe you should help us look for the tickets, then maybe we would find them faster, that we would." Kenshin piped up. "Kennsshiin!!!!" Karou loomed over the rurouni, waving her shinai menacingly. "Are you telling me what to do?"

Kenshin shrunk, his mouth agape. "No ma'am." He squeaked under the angry eyes of his supposed lover.

"I've found them!" Sano yelled triumphantly, waving the train tickets clenched in his fist. "Next time you should be more careful with important stuff like this." He chided Karou.

"Next time?" Karou fumed, her anger boiling. "There won't BE a next time for you guys!" She ran after Sano who had already predicted the missy's moves and was well on his way, sprinting to the train station.

"Hurry up!" Yahiko called to Kenshin, as together the both ran full speed to catch up with their comrades and, hopefully, also catch the train.

They arrived at the station just as the train was starting its engines. Quickly the group jumped aboard, not caring witch car they were in, as long as they were on board for the ride.

After finally catching their breath they chose a seat and sat down, hoping that they would get everything straightened out in Kyoto.

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Kaiya's nerves were on end. Now the train was moving, moving her closer to her destination and mission.

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As the train pulled into the Kyoto station, Kenshin hopped off searching for some police officer or other authorive figure. Finally spotting a conductor Kenshin approached him, hoping that it was the right choice.

"Excuse me sir." Kenshin started, "But can you tell me where me and my friends are supposed to sit? These are our tickets. We arrived to the train station in Tokyo late and had to hop unto the nearest car."

The man took his spectacles out of his pocket, wiping them on his shirt before proceeding to study the tickets. "I'm sorry to say this sir, but these appear to be fake. I'm afraid I'm going to have to report you to the police."

Kenshin was taken aback. "Fake? But those tickets came directly from the chief of police himself."

"Hmmm." The man shrugged, "Just sit tight, we'll find out. Please hold on while I get the chief of police, he just happens to be traveling on this very train, maybe he can straighten this out."

While Kenshin waited he walked back to the train car where Karou waited, leaning out of the window. "What's wrong Kenshin?" She called out.

Kenshin walked up with a still puzzled look on his face. Looking up he gazed into her soft eyes and almost completely melted. Straightening himself out he leaned against the train, looking up past her head at the blue sky. "It appears as if our tickets are fake." He stated to her.

"What?" She exploded. "I don't believe this!"

"Calm down Miss Karou, the conductor is looking into it, that he is." Karou almost lost her insanity. She secretly loved it when he called her Miss Karou. It was much more respectful and dignified coming from Kenshin's mouth than when that bad mouth, good for nothing free loader called her 'Missy.' She sighed, relaxing completely before noticing that Kenshin was still staring at her. She quickly looked away, trying to compose herself.

Eventually a wide-eyed police chief came stumbling over to Kenshin. He looked Kenshin over then stared back at the car from which he had just came. "Himoura, if you are here then who is sitting back in your seat in the emperor's train car?"

"Oro?" Kenshin couldn't believe his ears. "It must an imposter, that it must." He concluded. "No good can come from this imposter, of that I am sure."

"T-t-that's right. Kenshin's been with us all morning. The other person must be a phony." Sano shakily waved his fist outside the window, he still sat in a beetle position, unable to uncurl himself.

The police chief thought for a while. "Maybe it is best if the emperor ride with you in another car and a decoy sit in the emperor's car."

"Yes." Kenshin confided, "It is probably best that we don't let the imposter in on what is going on. Then maybe we can stop him from whatever his evil plan might be."

"Then that is what we shall do." The police chief clapped a fist into his open palm. "The emperor shall ride with you in this plain car. Hopefully we can catch this imposter red-handed in whatever he plans to accomplish against the emperor."

Little did they know who the "imposter" was and who was the true motive behind "his" actions. Find out more in the next chapter!

a/n: I didn't intend to leave the story at this spot but I really have to go now. Have a great day and plz remember to review my story.