Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Rurouni Kenshin characters,
Kiena Himura, or Kiera Nakamura. The last two are owned by my friends
and I don't know the names of all the people who own RK.
Chapter 4: The Attempt
"Do I know you?" she asked. Why does this person out of so many seem too familiar, yet as unknown as the mysteries of the universe? she thought. Staring into the person's eyes, she recognized her eyes, the same fierce brown.
At that moment, someone stumbled into her and the person disappeared.
*
*
*
*
"How old are you four?" asked Katsura.
"We are all 14 years old," answered Kiera, knowing full well that Kiriko was a year younger than that. "Why do you ask?"
"I made the mistake once of taking on a child, and I have never forgiven myself for the act. I refuse to make the same mistake again. I am sorry, but I can not take you on. You four are too young. Come back in two years, but pray the war will be over by then."
Katsura left at that note. They turned together and left, walking into a secluded alleyway. There they discussed what had happened.
"Did you all sense the presence too?" asked Kiriko. While talking to Katsura, she had sensed a threatening presence and it had left when he did.
"Yes, it was probably an assassin. What do you want to do about it?" answered Kiera.
"We should trail him. From there, we play it by ear," came the reply. And that is exactly what they did. Hiding on the rooftops all day, using Kiriko's food stash for lunch and dinner, keeping an eye on Katsura.
He left the training grounds around sunset, heading through a maze of streets till he finally entered a house. The four had little trouble keeping up with Katsura, for they stayed to the rooftops.
Katsura came back out about one hour after sundown. He was probably headed to a meeting, a very important one that if he didn't show up, would start a feud.
After traveling almost five blocks, the assassin attacked. He jumped in front of Katsura, sword ready to strike. The hit did not connect, though. A split second before it did, Kiriko blocked the attack with her sheathed sword.
Katsura did not expect this. The assassin was something that can occur at any time, yes, but someone you had turned down hours before blocking an attack meant for your life, that was unexpected.
Kiriko drew her blade, hearing a soft click. Behind her, the others' drew their swords. She motioned with her hand, signaling the others' to get Katsura out of here.
Kiera went first, scouting for any other assassins. Kiena and Shinta followed behind her with Katsura, keeping him quiet and moving. Kiriko stayed behind to fight this enemy.
The assassin changed targets from Katsura to Kiriko. He attacked again, only to be deflected. After multiple attacks, the assassin went for the kill.
Her blade seemed to come to life in her hands. She dodged the thrust by turning and at the same time brought her blade down onto his back, killing him. As she stared aghast at the destruction she had just wrought, her mind kicked into gear.
No time to stare, we have to make sure Katsura is safe, she thought. As she ran down the streets of Kyoto, Kiriko scouted for any trace of Kiera's ki. Kiera would leave a trail of little marks of her ki. Kiriko soon caught up to them to find Katsura in the middle of Kiera, Kiena, and Shinta, who were fighting off a small squad of fighters.
Kiriko dived right into the entire mess of it, her sword seeming to have a life of it's own. Without thinking, she defeated all those to approach her. Killing is not necessary, you can always find a way around it, came the unbidden memory from one of her senseis. In this case, it is kill or be killed, she thought. There is no way around it, sensei.
They were soon running once again, and Kiriko took rear guard, Kiera scouting ahead, and the twins leading Katsura. Katsura was shocked. The four fought unbelievably well, working with each other's weaknesses and strengths. There was no doubt, he needed them.
"Where were you headed?" asked Kiriko.
"To a meeting a few streets from this one. It is very important I am there tonight," he replied. "It is this way."
Katsura lead through the maze of streets towards the meeting. When they arrived at the meeting, they were greeted by stares. Not surprising, since they were covered with blood.
"Who are they?" asked one of the men at the meeting.
"They are the four who will help determine the war," answered Katsura. The war was riding on the Battousi, but he alone would lose. They needed more fighters who could work together, fighters who actually knew what they were doing to such an extent that they could do it without thinking.
"How's the Battousi doing?" asked a different man.
The meeting went on much the same way, though the four payed no attention to any of it. They leaned against the furthermost wall and wandered into their thought. Thoughts filled with blood and swords, each trying to accept in their own way that they had killed a person. Multiple persons.
Katsura brought them to the house they had seen him come out of earlier when the meeting finished. They slept there for the night.
When they woke up the next morning, they went out to get some fresh air. Unfortunately, Kiriko was the last one up. As she ran to catch up with the other three, who were going to get their back packs (they had hidden them), she yelled,
"Wait up Shinta!"
Kenshin stopped in his tracks upon hearing his name. Shinta. Like a forgotten friend, it cheered his spirits. He looked to see who had called his name in time to catch sight of a swordsman, about 5'6" with his dark brown hair in a high ponytail, running to catch up with another swordsman.
Shinta turned to see Kiriko running towards him, frustration clear on her face. Better not anger any more, he thought.
Kenshin couldn't make out the other swordsman. Sensing a familiar ki beside him, he acknowledged the other one's presence.
"Katsura," he said, turning to greet him, the unknown swordsman pushed to the back of his mind, forgotten till later when he had time to ponder over it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry for the delay! Family outings! I will try to get the next chapter out by Saturday, 12/6.
Review!
Kiena Himura, or Kiera Nakamura. The last two are owned by my friends
and I don't know the names of all the people who own RK.
Chapter 4: The Attempt
"Do I know you?" she asked. Why does this person out of so many seem too familiar, yet as unknown as the mysteries of the universe? she thought. Staring into the person's eyes, she recognized her eyes, the same fierce brown.
At that moment, someone stumbled into her and the person disappeared.
*
*
*
*
"How old are you four?" asked Katsura.
"We are all 14 years old," answered Kiera, knowing full well that Kiriko was a year younger than that. "Why do you ask?"
"I made the mistake once of taking on a child, and I have never forgiven myself for the act. I refuse to make the same mistake again. I am sorry, but I can not take you on. You four are too young. Come back in two years, but pray the war will be over by then."
Katsura left at that note. They turned together and left, walking into a secluded alleyway. There they discussed what had happened.
"Did you all sense the presence too?" asked Kiriko. While talking to Katsura, she had sensed a threatening presence and it had left when he did.
"Yes, it was probably an assassin. What do you want to do about it?" answered Kiera.
"We should trail him. From there, we play it by ear," came the reply. And that is exactly what they did. Hiding on the rooftops all day, using Kiriko's food stash for lunch and dinner, keeping an eye on Katsura.
He left the training grounds around sunset, heading through a maze of streets till he finally entered a house. The four had little trouble keeping up with Katsura, for they stayed to the rooftops.
Katsura came back out about one hour after sundown. He was probably headed to a meeting, a very important one that if he didn't show up, would start a feud.
After traveling almost five blocks, the assassin attacked. He jumped in front of Katsura, sword ready to strike. The hit did not connect, though. A split second before it did, Kiriko blocked the attack with her sheathed sword.
Katsura did not expect this. The assassin was something that can occur at any time, yes, but someone you had turned down hours before blocking an attack meant for your life, that was unexpected.
Kiriko drew her blade, hearing a soft click. Behind her, the others' drew their swords. She motioned with her hand, signaling the others' to get Katsura out of here.
Kiera went first, scouting for any other assassins. Kiena and Shinta followed behind her with Katsura, keeping him quiet and moving. Kiriko stayed behind to fight this enemy.
The assassin changed targets from Katsura to Kiriko. He attacked again, only to be deflected. After multiple attacks, the assassin went for the kill.
Her blade seemed to come to life in her hands. She dodged the thrust by turning and at the same time brought her blade down onto his back, killing him. As she stared aghast at the destruction she had just wrought, her mind kicked into gear.
No time to stare, we have to make sure Katsura is safe, she thought. As she ran down the streets of Kyoto, Kiriko scouted for any trace of Kiera's ki. Kiera would leave a trail of little marks of her ki. Kiriko soon caught up to them to find Katsura in the middle of Kiera, Kiena, and Shinta, who were fighting off a small squad of fighters.
Kiriko dived right into the entire mess of it, her sword seeming to have a life of it's own. Without thinking, she defeated all those to approach her. Killing is not necessary, you can always find a way around it, came the unbidden memory from one of her senseis. In this case, it is kill or be killed, she thought. There is no way around it, sensei.
They were soon running once again, and Kiriko took rear guard, Kiera scouting ahead, and the twins leading Katsura. Katsura was shocked. The four fought unbelievably well, working with each other's weaknesses and strengths. There was no doubt, he needed them.
"Where were you headed?" asked Kiriko.
"To a meeting a few streets from this one. It is very important I am there tonight," he replied. "It is this way."
Katsura lead through the maze of streets towards the meeting. When they arrived at the meeting, they were greeted by stares. Not surprising, since they were covered with blood.
"Who are they?" asked one of the men at the meeting.
"They are the four who will help determine the war," answered Katsura. The war was riding on the Battousi, but he alone would lose. They needed more fighters who could work together, fighters who actually knew what they were doing to such an extent that they could do it without thinking.
"How's the Battousi doing?" asked a different man.
The meeting went on much the same way, though the four payed no attention to any of it. They leaned against the furthermost wall and wandered into their thought. Thoughts filled with blood and swords, each trying to accept in their own way that they had killed a person. Multiple persons.
Katsura brought them to the house they had seen him come out of earlier when the meeting finished. They slept there for the night.
When they woke up the next morning, they went out to get some fresh air. Unfortunately, Kiriko was the last one up. As she ran to catch up with the other three, who were going to get their back packs (they had hidden them), she yelled,
"Wait up Shinta!"
Kenshin stopped in his tracks upon hearing his name. Shinta. Like a forgotten friend, it cheered his spirits. He looked to see who had called his name in time to catch sight of a swordsman, about 5'6" with his dark brown hair in a high ponytail, running to catch up with another swordsman.
Shinta turned to see Kiriko running towards him, frustration clear on her face. Better not anger any more, he thought.
Kenshin couldn't make out the other swordsman. Sensing a familiar ki beside him, he acknowledged the other one's presence.
"Katsura," he said, turning to greet him, the unknown swordsman pushed to the back of his mind, forgotten till later when he had time to ponder over it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry for the delay! Family outings! I will try to get the next chapter out by Saturday, 12/6.
Review!