(Author's Note: I want to thank the reviewers who reviewed! The ones who reviewed are DarkHand27 and candy-animelover600! Thankeeeeees~!!!!)
The Forgotten Era
Disclaimer: I SHALL RULE THE ANIME WORLD!!! THAT WAY I DON'T HAVE TO SAY THIS DISCLAIMER ANYMORE!!! …No…wait…if that happens I'll be unemployed! NOOOOOOO~!!!!!
MC (MysticChaos): Disclaimer, you forgot to take your medication again, didn't you?
Disclaimer: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!!!
DH (DarkHand): I think that means a yes.
S4R (ShinHwa4Real): Moo… 0_o;;; (Translation: Yes…)
MC: Now what do we do? I mean, ShinHwa4Real turned into a cow and all she can say is moo.
MCC (MysticChaos's Conscious): I TOLD YOU! LEARN THE COW LANGUAGE!
MC: AHHHH~!!! I STILL HAVE VOICES IN MY HEAD!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH~!!! *runs around in circles*
DH: How long has this been going on?
S4R: Um….moo mooooo. (Translation: Um…a week.)
DH: I see.
MC: *stops running around in circles* Wait…You could understand Cow language?
DH: No.
MC: Then what was that right now?!
DH: I read ahead in the script.
S4R: -_-;;;
MCC: LEARN THE MOO-MOO LANGUAGE!!!!
MC: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~!!! VOICES IN MY-
S4R: *knocks out MysticChaos with a flying cowbell*
DH: A flying cowbell…?
*Yes, a flying cowbell.*
DH: Oh. Ok.
S4R: 0_o;;;
*Awkward silence*
MCC: So…is anyone going to learn the Cow language?
DH: NO!
S4R: MOO! (Translation: NO!)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 3: The Battle
When the Kenshin-Gumi first came into a clear spot of land in where Kenshin's opponent was about to meet, it was empty. "Maybe we went to the wrong place?" Yahiko suggested. Kenshin shook his head. "No. I am sure this is the spot. That it is."
Suddenly, a cold voice rang out, "Ah! Battousai! How nice for you to stop by! Especially for bringing your friends along to see your death!" The voice gave a chilling laughter.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!" Sanosuke yelled, looking around for the voice as the other were doing.
"Oh, do not worry." continued the voice. "I will show myself soon enough! But…by then it will already be too late!"
"Coward! No true samurai would hide in the shadows like that!" Yahiko shouted.
The voice laughed again. "Oh I'm not a samurai. I am a manslayer!"
At this comment, a bunch of ninja stars shot from the trees, narrowly missing Kenshin as he jumped aside.
"You there! The woman, the Sekihoutai man, and the little boy. Stand out of the way if you do not want to be pierced!" the voice said, in a more serious tone.
"No! We will stand here with Kenshin!" Kaoru objected.
"And I'm not little!" Yahiko shouted.
The voice did not respond to this, but it did respond when Kenshin jumped right at a tree, cutting it down with one swipe. There was a quick view of the opponent as it jumped out of danger, but remained in the shadows, now shooting poisoned darts. Luckily, Kenshin dodged all of them. "Will you not stay still?!" the voice cried.
"Oh man! Kenshin has the disadvantage right now! He can't even see where this evil person is!" Kaoru said, watching the darts shoot and crash into the ground, barely missing Kenshin. Sanosuke shook his head and smiled, "No. It's the other way around! Kenshin is dodging his enemies attack so he would run out and eventually fight him face to face!"
This was partially right. Kenshin did know that the enemy would run out of ammo, but unfortunately, the opponent was able to read Kenshin's every move. Then finally, after a few minutes or so, the shooting of darts and ninja stars was finally over…but…there was another problem at hand.
Kenshin noticed that his enemy didn't shoot anymore air weapons and was strangely quiet. Suspicious, Kenshin walked forward, but for some reason, he couldn't move! Shocked, he looked down and saw barely visible strands of wire holding his legs and arms. Then Kenshin saw a faint shadow of his enemy.
"I learned this trick by two monks that you knocked unconscious a long time ago. Of course I learned this before they were given to the police." the voice said with a strange air of calmness.
"You mean the two monks who were hired by Gohei." Kenshin replied, also abnormally calm.
The voice snorted. "Gohei. Yes, the giant with no brains. He was the one that tried to take over the Kamiya Kasshin style some year ago, is that right?"
"Yes, and apparently, this attack will not work on me. I have seen this one before."
To prove Kenshin's point, he raised his sword to swipe at the wires, but the strands of metal still held. Startled, Kenshin looked at the shadow for an explanation. Instead, the person laughed.
"Fool! Did you actually think I was that stupid enough to do the same mistake as those monks did?" the individual said skeptically. "I know you would not be fooled by the invisible wires, but did you actually expect them to be European STEEL wires?"
Everyone gasped at this. "How is Kenshin going to get out of this one now?!" Yahiko moaned.
The enemy casually moved her hands, controlling Kenshin like a puppet. "You see," the person started, "The steel wires can be controlled in different way with the hands. The one that I like the best is tripping!" To show this, the foe pulled back sharply, making Kenshin's feet buckle and make him land right on his face. The fiend laughed at this as Kenshin attempted to stand up, only to fall again.
"Why I ought a-" Yahiko muttered, walking forward, but Sanosuke quickly grabbed the boy by the collar, pulling him back.
"Let me go, Rooster head!" Yahiko yelled, struggling in Sano's grip. The man hissed, "Yahiko! If you get in the fight, if any of us get into the fight, we'll only distract Kenshin!" Kaoru nodded in agreement and Yahiko finally stopped grabbing at the air, looking helplessly at Kenshin.
The rurouni was finally able to stand up (because the enemy allowed him to) and still looked calm. "It was a mistake to allow me to stand up." Kenshin growled, backing away slightly. The shadow tilted its head in amusement and simple said, "Oh?" Suddenly, Kenshin jumped backwards, wrenching some of the strands out of his opponent's hands, having his legs and left arm free. His right arm remained tied to the person, but luckily, this wasn't all a bad thing. Instead, Kenshin's sudden pull pulled his killer out of the trees, revealing his mysterious foe.
Everyone looked bug-eyed at Kenshin's opponent.
When the person stood up, black hair tumbled down on its shoulders and golden eyes flared with hatred. It wasn't a he…it was a SHE! (MC: Betcha know who it is already.) So…erm…ANYWAY~the Kenshin-Gumi started to throw shocked insults at her…which the woman ignored.
"So you just stayed in the dojo just to kill Kenshin?!" Sanosuke yelled.
"And Kenshin just came back from Shishio's fight!" Yahiko shouted.
"It's not fair!" cried Kaoru.
The woman snapped angrily, "Fight or no fight, I don't care!" With this, she took out her sword. Its katana blade shimmered a sinister blue and the hilt glimmered with silver. For some reason, it seemed to match the woman perfectly. Kenshin sighed and said, "Very well, but as you already know, I will not kill you." The woman smirked.
"Well, that's easier for me." she said.
Kenshin took out his Reverse Blade Sword and moved into a fighting stance. For a second, his eyes widened when he saw in what kind of stance the woman also did.
"I remember you now…" he said softly. "You were the woman that I met at the last battle of the Tokugawa Era."
"Yes. I was and did I not say I will come back and kill you regardless of what your beliefs will be?"
Kenshin nodded. There was an awkward silence after that. Suddenly, they both rammed into each other, swords meeting and clashing, sparks flying all over the place. Then Kenshin pushed the woman backwards, but she gracefully flipped as the wanderer struck forward. This continued on non-stop for half an hour until finally, they both stopped abruptly at opposite ends, breathing heavily.
"It's a tie…!" Sanosuke whispered, obviously stunned.
Sanosuke was right about that at least. Amazingly, Kenshin and the woman were equally powerful and only their ultimate attacks can determine the winner.
"You've gotten better." Kenshin gasped.
"You too, battousai." The woman hissed.
Then they both stood up, backs straight.
"There is only one way to finish this."
"Our ultimate attacks."
Suddenly, the air around them stood still, no wind, the moon partly hidden by the cloud. Everyone held their breaths as the two fighters went into a stance of their own liking. Finally, when the moon was covered by the solitary cloud, darkness covered the cleared area. In a few seconds of darkness, a sharp boom of metal clashed, a flash of light erupting, two voices yelling, "THE DANCING DRAGON!" and the other, "Hiten Misurugi Ryu, ama kakeru ryu no hirameki!" When the cloud passed by the moon, lighting the clearing once more, the two warriors already struck, still in their after-stance.
Then the woman trembled slightly. Falling onto one knee, the sword in the ground, supporting her, she chuckled. Kenshin got up, showing a large gash on his left arm.
"You dodged my ultimate attack," Kenshin said with sheer wonder. "Yet you lost. How did that happen?"
Everyone looked at the woman, amazed that Kenshin missed his target, the woman being the only one who darted out of the Hiten Misurugi Ryu succession technique.
The woman smiled. This wasn't an evil smile. A regretful smile, it was.
"I tripped."
Yahiko shouted out in frustration, "YOU TRIPPED?!"
"Yes." the woman said, crumpling onto the ground. "Like your attack battousai, I must have a clear mind, or I will stab myself. Apparently, when I saw your scar, it was on the left side. Not on the right. The right sided scar was the one who took away my only relative and brother. It was not you…I realized that when I saw you scar…so I was distracted and…I…"
The woman fainted, her side bleeding heavily. Then she whispered, "Saito…my brother…"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
S4R: Moo… (Translation: I'm bored….)
DH: Me too.
MCC: LEARN THE COW LANGUAGE THEN!
DH: SHUT UP!!
MCC: *mutter, mutter*
S4R: MWAMOOMOOMOOMOO~!!!!
DH: *scared* What the hell?!
S4R: MWAMOOMOOMOOMOO~!!!
MCC: OH NO! SHE HAS MAD COW DISEASE!!!
S4R: MWAMOOMOOMOOMOOMOO~!!!! *running around in circles*
DH: Boy…that was random…
MC: I know! ^_^
DH: You're awake now?
MC: Yup! And I love my Author Powers!
DH: Maybe you should use those Author Powers to make ShinHwa4Real normal again.
MC: Oh, all right… *waves hand*
*Lots of pink glittery smoke come out…and Shishio comes out of it*
Shishio: IT'S PINK I TELL YOU! PINK!!!
DH and MC: Um…
MC: Hi?
Shishio: It's not magenta! It's pink!!!
DH: Of what?
Shishio: Of Kenshin's shirt! ^_^
MC: …
DH: Ok…
Shishio: And guess what?
MC: What?
Shishio: It's PINK!
DH: *pulls back MysticChaos who was trying to kill Shishio, even if he is dead already* Let him be and turn back ShinHwa4Real.
MC: FINE! *waves hand*
*Magenta smoke comes out…and Kenshin comes out of it.*
Kenshin: IT'S NOT PINK, SHISHIO! IT'S MAGENTA!
DH: MYSTICCHAOS! PLEASE!
MC: Ok, ok! *twirls hand and turns ShinHwa4Real back to normal*
S4R: I'M GOING TO KILL YOU MYSTCCHAOS! *chases after MysticChaos*
MC: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~!!! *runs away*
DH: Well, um…Review people!!!
Kenshin: MAGENTA!
Shishio: PINK!
Kenshin: MAGENTA!
Shishio: PINK!
Kenshin: MAGENTA!
Shishio: PINK!
DH: SHUT UP!!!
Shishio and Kenshin: Yes ma'am.
DH: *grumble, grumble*
MC: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~!!!! *running around*
S4R: DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~!!! *swings around F.P.O.D*