Aoshi

"Xien?" a small voice asked tentatively.
Xien lowered her blade. "Who is it, and what do you want?"
Yumi appeared.
"Well.....I....uh... came to apologise."
"For what?"
"We didn't really get off to a good start and all. I was wondering if you would want to take Souzou and little Sai shopping with me."
Xien sheathed her katana and eyed Yumi suspiciously. Deciding it was ok, she stepped toward her and held out her hand.
"You're forgiven."
Yumi shook her hand and smiled.
"I'll see you in an hour then. Please wear a kimono and... you can bring your katana with you. You could even bring that frying pan you love so much."
**..**..

"Come on Xien!!!! Sai'n Yumi're waitin'!!!" Souzou exclaimed.
"I'm coming Souzou!!!!! Hold on, wait up!!!"
Xien pulled up to the market just as Souzou dashed off to Yumi.
Honestly kid, where do you get all that energy? She thought as she trotted up.
Yumi smiled. "You came!! I didn't think you would.
Xien smiled in return.
Souzou tugged on Xien's sleeve.
"Come on!! Let's go!! I wanna see the train!!"
"Ok ok. Jeez, I just got here."
**..**..

"Wow, that looks like fun!! I wonder what it's like to-"
"Oh no you don't." Xien stated as she propelled Souzou into the air by the scruff of his neck in a very Hiko like manner.
Souzou crossed his arms and put on a pouty face. "Party pooper."
Yumi giggled.
"What?"
"From what I've heard, you're acting a lot like your master Hiko."
"Hmph. There's no way I'm acting like that old man."
"You are too!!" Souzou argued.
"Are not!!"
"Are too!!"
"Are not!!"
"Are too!!"
"Are not!!!!"
"Are too!!"
A dong shattered the noise as Souzou hit Xien with the Frying Pan of Death.
"SOUZOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Souzou stuck out his tongue. "Catch me if you can!!!"
Yumi sighed as the replay of all that she had heard about commenced.
"Well, Sai, here we go again."
Xien's eye caught a flash of movement in the shadows. I thought we were being followed........
**..**..

Souzou looked wistfully back at the train station.
Xien tightened her grip around his waist. "There's no way you're getting away again.
Souzou smirked. He'd always wanted to try that famous stunt of Xien's.
**..**..

"There they are, those lil' girls we told you about."
Gohei lowered his binoculars.
"Good. Those little brats have no way to defend themselves. They might make nice toys as well."
**..**..

A shadow among shadows watched the scene play out before it, then left.
**..**..

"I wanna look at toys." Souzou whined.
Xien sighed and let the little tyrant go.
"Yay!!!"
"Don't go too far!!"
Yumi giggled. "Stop worrying so much Xien. He'll be fine."
"But-"
"No buts."
Suddenly, Xien's frame went rigid.
"Xien, what is it?"
A man stepped from the shadows.
"Hey pretty ladies, wha cha doin'? Why don' cha come out and play?"
Yumi took a step back.
"Wh-what do you want?"
"Just you."
"Yumi, take Sai and Souzou and run. We're not surrounded at the moment."
"What about you?"
"I'll be fine."
Yumi nodded in understanding and ran.
"The man grinned. "Why don' cha follow yer frien'?"
Xien sighed and replied, "Because you're a nuisance, and a nuisance has to be silenced, that it does."
"Hmph, cocky. Why don' cha tern aroun' an' face me then?"
"Gladly."
Xien whirled, shedding her kimono. She stood in ragged pants and the remnants of a gi that had been sewn together to make a t shirt that fell to the bottom of her breast bone.
Her katana lay sheathed in her belt.
The man looked stunned, then amused as he started to laugh.
"So. Ya wanna play swordsman now, do ya?"
Xien's eyes narrowed. "Do you see someone you once knew, a legend perhaps?"
The man stopped laughing. "Wha do ya mean?"
"Do you see a legend before you?"
"No. All I see is a scar't lil' gerl." Wha's she getting' at?
Xien stepped into stance.
"Fine, if ya wanna play that way!!" The man charged, knife in hand.
A blade whipped out of nowhere, hooked around the knife and brought it to the ground. The sheath followed the original path, striking the man to the side, out cold.
Gohei cringed in the shadows.
"You see the legend, don't you Gohei."
Slowly, Gohei came out.
Xien stood looking at him, katana in hand.
Gohei smirked to mask his fright.
"I see the legend. You're the Image of the Battousai."
"Correct." She took a step toward him. "And that makes me your enemy."
Gohei sweat dropped. Suddenly, he charged, umbrella in hand
Xien sheathed her katana and pulled out the Frying Pan of Death, grinning deviously. "Time to have some fun......."
"Die!! Men, surround and destroy her!!"
She jumped into a Ryu Soi Sen, knocking Gohei out, only to find herself surrounded. He sighed again. "Here we go again."
Two men charged. She stepped aside, tripping one while the other whizzed past.
A dong sounded as she let the other guy hurt himself on the frying Pan.
Xien grinned again and went into fighting stance.
The men sweat dropped. Here was a girl swordsman, and she was going to fight with a frying pan.
Three others charged. She took the first two down with a Battou Jutsu, but then.....
The last man fell with the imprint of a fist in his face.
Xien blinked. A man stood before her, eyes penetrating her very soul.
She blinked again and the spell was broken.
"Shinomori Aoshi. Who knew you'd show up in Tokyo."
"Behind you."
Xien ducked as a fist went by, caught by Aoshi.
"Right back at ya." She whispered.
The man behind Aoshi ended up with a frying pan in the face. Aoshi swung the man he was holding on to and sent him flying into the other.
The fight went on this way until all the man were knocked.
Xien stood up and wiped the sweat from her brow.
"So, Aoshi, what brings you to Tokyo?"
Aoshi smirked. "I was sent to check up on a certain baka and make sure she was still alive."
Xien laughed. "So the old man sent you."
"The old man and Misao. They might not show it, but they really miss you"
Xien laughed again. "And what brings you to come on their behalf?"
"To see if your teaching is progressing in Kempo. I see you have improved."
She stretched. "It's mainly from all the sparring I do with Sano, but I do practice now and then."
"Then you wouldn't mind if I sparred with you."
"Not now!! I'm too tired!! Besides, I have to get home before my dad comes after me."
"Very well, tomorrow then."
Mentor and student walked silently under the Sakura trees to the dojo and the uproar that greeted them.

AN/ whew!! Another chapter finally done!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This fic's almost done!!! All there is to do now is _________________________________!!!! Guess what I'm not gonna tell!!!!!!!!!!!bwhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahahahahahahah ahhahahahahahahha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! see ya next chapter!!!

~destiny