Tangled Worlds
(Or: Two Realities Intertwined by Six Bored, Immortal and Powerful Omnipotent Beings)

by baru-chan

****** -- denotes change of scene/POV/writing style

Overall Rating: PG
Chapter Rating: PG


CHAPTER TWO
Of plummeting swordsmen and startled Half-Elves

Kenshin blinked at the three...creatures. They didn't blink back at him. Kenshin blinked again. No response. He blinked a third time, looking like the most innocent living thing that ever graced the tainted lands of Endor.

But behind the innocent blinking were the thoughts of a trained killer. Damn! What the hell are these two?! Kenshin thought furiously. Their ki is different, I haven't felt anything like it before! What do I do? Attack and flee? Or wait for them to make the first move? Are they oni? he suddenly asked himself.

He did not look like it, but Kenshin was probably the most superstitious sentient being within a 300-kilometer wide radius.

Why, you might ask, was the most feared assassin in Kyoto afraid of demons and ogres and who knows what else? That was because all of the Masters of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu were superstitious!

Myth has it that the first Master of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, Hiko Seijuro (not Kenshin's shishou!), was ambushed by fickle demi-gods and demi-godesses and was sent into a confusing world where pigs could fly and seven maids with seven mops were sweeping the sand off a sandy beach for half a year. And the first Hiko swore to everything that was holy that there were oysters with legs running around him while he was having a lively debate about shoes, ships and sealing-wax with a Walrus wearing a tuxedo and a slightly demented Carpenter.

When Hiko the First was returned to Japan, one of the demi-godesses turned to him and said: "One of the future Masters of your school will also fall victim to us. Warn your student, and your student's student and your student's student's student and so on that The Six will come back to torture you. So beware."

Thus explains Kenshin's wild paranoia when it came to supernatural goings-on. He was so paranoid that he completely forgot that oni were supposed to be ugly -- and the three creatures in front of him were definitely NOT ugly. Beautiful, graceful, and ethreal they may be, but definitely not ugly.

******

Meanwhile, the Elves were getting tired of the blinking the short Man was doing in front of them. He wasn't fooling them one bit. They knew that the Man was contemplating whether or not to attack them or wait for them to make the first move.

While waiting for the Man to react to their presence other than to blink, Celeblin, one of the Elves, studied the Man closely. He looked different from the other Men they have seen before; his skin looked a bit yellowish and his bright violet eyes were slanted a tad bit upwards. He also carried two swords, both of them with unfamiliar hilt designs.

Finally, Nimril, one of the other Elves, had gotten impatient. He was, after all, only 61 years old. "Speak up, Adan!"

The Man only blinked again and said: "Oro?"

Celeblin rolled his eyes and started to walk towards the Man. "He does not understand us. Maybe he speaks another language."

Dînedhel, the final member of their group, merely nodded while Nimril also walked towards the Man.

"Will we bring him back to camp?" he questioned Celeblin.

"Of course!" But Dînedhel, ever true to his name, stayed silent, though he did follow his companions.

******

Little did the Elves know about the Man. When Celeblin was near enough, Kenshin pulled out his katana and slashed at the Elf.

But little did Kenshin know about Elves too. They were quick, quicker than even him. He just barely missed nicking Celeblin's skin when Dînedhel brought out his long knife and thrust it at him.

Kenshin evaded the knife and pulled out his wakizashi. This was not the first time he had to fight three opponents at once, and he knew what to do.

Nimril unsheathed his sword, swinging at the Man as he did so. Kenshin blocked him with his short sword while he swiped at Celeblin, who ducked and pulled out his dagger.

Dînedhel flicked his wrist and managed to shallowly cut Kenshin's sleeve when he was suddenly kicked by the Man on the stomach. The breath knocked out of him, he retaliated by swinging his knife towards Kenshin, who dodged the blade.

Nimril pulled back his sword, overbalancing the Man. He then swung the sword and sliced the Man's left thigh, to make sure that he would not escape easily. The Man grunted in pain and swung the sword again.

When Celeblin saw the Man ducking, he quickly swiped his dagger at the Man, only to be blocked by the long sword. Seeing the opening, Dînedhel swung his knife towards the Man's middle.

******

"What the adsarilnya is going on here?" wailed J'linér.

"Where have the Valar and the Maiar gone?" asked Lasq'r.

Nobody had an answer.

Valinor was deserted. There was NOBODY THERE.

Well, except some Elves of course.

But The Six weren't going to lower themselves and actually ask those creatures what happened.

"Hmmm...the the only time all of the Valar left their comfy little homes was when they battled Melkor..." mused N'grakún.

Five of the Six Bored, Immortal, Powerful and Omnipotent Beings glared at Zòbr'kún in disgust.

Zòbr'kún would have sheepishly scratched his head if he possesed a body. "Er...sorry?"

******

Kenshin gave a strangled cry when he felt the blade slice his skin deeply. His eyes momentarily flashed amber before it was again covered by amethyst.

Celeblin felt a small flare of triumph when he heard the Man cry out. Maybe he would stop this pointless fighting now.

But instead of halting the fight, the Man jumped to the nearest tree and fled towards the direction of the Elves' camp.

******

Kenshin jumped from branch to branch, trying to ignore the pain from his belly and left thigh. Now was not the time to worry about minor wounds.

But Kenshin couldn't keep the fast pace for long. His thigh was giving him trouble and the blood from his stomach wound was beginning to run a track on the hand putting pressure on it.

When Kenshin saw the trees giving way to a clearing full of people and tents, he was relieved. He did not notice that the "people" were of the same kind of Creatures he had met up with earlier. He did not care because his pain was blurring his perception of the world. All he wanted now was for unconsciousness to welcome him to its comforting arms.

Kenshin jumped from the branch of the last tree, landing rather ungracefully on his left side. He groaned as the landing further aggravated his wounds.

******

Elrond Peredhil was startled by the Man who fell in front of him. He was so engrossed with his work that he did not notice the Man immediately.

His eyes immediately found the bloodstain on the Man's tunic and breeches and Elrond's astonishment faded. The Man was obviously hurt, and it was Elrond's duty heal him. He was one of the best healers in the camp.

Elrond immediately grabbed his medicine bag which he always brought wherever he went. The young Peredhel took out bandages and antiseptics and started to heal the Man.


Glossary:

Adan -- Man (Sindarin)
adsarilnya -- a made-up word not to be used in polite company
Endor -- Middle-earth; archaic form of Ennor (Sindarin)
oni -- demon/ogre (Japanese)
Peredhel -- Half-Elf; pl. peredhil (Sindarin)

Names:

Nimril -- white-brilliance
Celeblin -- silver pool/mere
Dînedhel -- silent elf

Secondary Disclaimers:

The "strange world" Hiko Seijuro the First was transported into is based on the poem "The Walrus and the Carpenter" by Lewis Carol, and could be found in the novel, Through the Looking Glass.