*Author notes : It took me a while to update my story. I had four projects to do over Christmas Break. I do plan to keep this story going tho, wait and all.*
Chapter 6:
A New friend from Afar
Kenshin awoke sometime in the early morning with a sudden chill, like something was wrong. Kagome was still there and Inuyasha was lightly sleeping on the windowsill. He dismissed the chill as what happened quite often these days. When one learns Hiten Mitsuragi, they learn how to read aura's that all people have. When someone dies, the aura goes dark, sending a chill to all who can feel it. It was both a good thing and bad. Inuyasha usually had a light aura, but it was strange for someone who acted so mean. And since an aura never lies, that can only mean Inuyasha is a little more sentimental than once thought. Kagome also had a light aura, someone who is happy and content. But her aura seemed lighter than usual. She was probably having a good dream, he thought.
He heard some whispering coming from Kagome's direction. He scooted closer to hear what she was saying. He scooted even closer until he heard a piece of what she was saying.
"…Inu…yasha…"
A good dream indeed.
He smiled in the dark, but the smile was cut off by another chill that went all the way to his bones. It was not a random thing, something was wrong. He quietly crept out of the room and after a bit, lit a candle from an oil lamp in the hall. The whole inn was silent, except for an odd clinking noise from downstairs. He walked down the stairs, careful to not slip in the darkness. He peered out over the tavern that served as both a restaurant and the lobby. In the corner of the tavern was a single candle, burning quietly to reveal a young man working at a small table. Kenshin approached him quietly, as to not reveal his presence. The man was working on a glove outfitted with balls of many colors. Kenshin edged closer. The man said a single word that Kenshin couldn't hear and one of the balls glowed yellow with a strange light. The man stared at it for a second, then spoke out loud.
"I know you're there. Come on out."
Kenshin was surprised, but shrugged mentally. He wasn't the only one in the world with highly tuned senses, and besides, it wasn't like he had been planning to kill the man, he had just been curious. He walked unhindered to the table and sat down, finally getting a good look at the man. He had very spiky blond hair, like some kind of bird feathers. He wore strange armor on his shoulders. On the table were the strange gloves, embedded in them were different colored balls. There was a huge sword leaning against the wall behind him, probably, by its size, bigger than the man himself.. And his eyes…they weren't natural. They had a strange glow in them. The man noticed him staring.
"People call them Mako eyes."
"Huh?"
"My eyes. You were staring at them."
"Sorry, didn't notice, that I did."
The man shrugged.
"Don't worry 'bout it. Lots of people do that. I guess I'm just a strange person. What do you need, anyway?"
Kenshin gave him his usual smile.
"I was wondering about you, that I was. When did you get in?"
"I came in around midnight. The innkeeper told me there were no free rooms but I was welcome to stay here."
"Where are you from?"
He smiled, strange, but he did.
"Would you believe me if I said I was from the future?"
He isn't lying. His aura would show it if he was. But then again, his aura is strange, like it WAS from a different time. And what about those strangely colored balls? This wasn't not normal.
"Well, that's something. I won't ask you for the details…oh, I didn't introduce myself. My name's Himura Kenshin. I'm a wanderer."
"My name is Cloud. I'm a wanderer as well."
That was interesting. It truly was.
"Why are you a wanderer? Care to tell?"
He looked away.
"I am searching for a jewel to save someone very dear to me."
Uh, oh.
"Would that be the shikon jewel?"
He looked up.
"Have you heard about it? I need it. I heard it was shattered and all."
Kenshin didn't answer. Cloud asked him a simple question.
"Do you have any shards?"
Kenshin smiled faintly.
"That we do."
Cloud's slightly friendly face changed in an instant. His aura darkened a bit.
"Give them to me. Now."
Kenshin dropped his smile.
"Sorry, I can't. There are things I need to do as well."
Clouds tone turned more menacing.
"Dont make me have to kill you. Give me the damn shards."
Kenshin answered him with a mean glare in his eye.
"I don't feel like killing you right now. You better run, and leave the shards behind, or else…I'll have to kill you, and I will."
"That is unlikely."
Kenshin stood up and left, leaving a young man reminded of his promise. Cloud picked up his glove, studded with different colored balls, and put it on. He pointed it at the lit candle.
"Wind."
A blue ball lit momentarily, before a gust of wind put out the candle and put the room to darkness.
***
Morning broke in on a sleepy hanyou with full force. Inuyasha didn't even yawn as he got up in the fresh morning. Kagome was still sleeping with a peaceful look on her face. Kenshin was as well, but without the look. Inuyasha looked back to Kagome. She was pretty when she was like that, unlike when she was using the 'sit' command. He watched her for a few minutes before she woke up, yawning groggily. Kenshin just stood up with no sleep after-effects. She smiled.
"Good Morning."
Kenshin smiled at her once again.
"A fine morning, that it is."
She dug into her pack.
Her stomach growled.
"Boy, I'm hungery! We should get something to eat after I change."
They both just stared.
"Ahem…"
They both just stared.
"I need to change!"
Question marks appeared over both their heads.
"GET OUT!"
"Ohhhhh…" They both said in unison.
They both walked out. Inuyasha didn't even comment as he left.
"Sheesh! Are they really that clueless?" She said to herself as she started to change.
She had no idea how right she was about one thing, they were clueless…about love. Especially Inuyasha!
***
When they arrived in the restaurant, the innkeeper served them all food, hot bacon and eggs. They packed it in. Inuyasha didn't even stop to breath, and Kagome, well, she ate like there was no tommorow. Kenshin, however, ate slowly, thoughtfully. Cloud wasn't here. He hoped that Cloud had left, he didn't want to have to fight him. But wanderers were destined to fight, whether they wanted to or not. Kagome noticed the look on Kenshin's face.
"Hey Kenshin, whats wrong?" Kagome asked.
He smiled at her.
"Oh, nothing."
He sipped at his tea, watching Kagome and Inuyasha fight over the food. He silently payed the bill that the innkeeper brought, leaving them to scrounge around on their plates for extra food. He filled up his cup one last time before the pot went empty. They departed without a word, leaving the inn and onto the road.
"So, which way now?"
Inuyasha shrugged.
"We should head east of course. The ocean is that way, maybe there's a shard over there."
"Okay!" Kagome said cheerfully.
They headed for the edge of town. Kenshin was silent. There was a probing thought in the back of his head, a warning. He knew what it was when he saw it, a lone man standing in the road. Cloud waited for him, and ready to fight the battle he didn't want to.
*Author notes: Kind of a cliffhanger. I'll try better next time.*
Chapter 6:
A New friend from Afar
Kenshin awoke sometime in the early morning with a sudden chill, like something was wrong. Kagome was still there and Inuyasha was lightly sleeping on the windowsill. He dismissed the chill as what happened quite often these days. When one learns Hiten Mitsuragi, they learn how to read aura's that all people have. When someone dies, the aura goes dark, sending a chill to all who can feel it. It was both a good thing and bad. Inuyasha usually had a light aura, but it was strange for someone who acted so mean. And since an aura never lies, that can only mean Inuyasha is a little more sentimental than once thought. Kagome also had a light aura, someone who is happy and content. But her aura seemed lighter than usual. She was probably having a good dream, he thought.
He heard some whispering coming from Kagome's direction. He scooted closer to hear what she was saying. He scooted even closer until he heard a piece of what she was saying.
"…Inu…yasha…"
A good dream indeed.
He smiled in the dark, but the smile was cut off by another chill that went all the way to his bones. It was not a random thing, something was wrong. He quietly crept out of the room and after a bit, lit a candle from an oil lamp in the hall. The whole inn was silent, except for an odd clinking noise from downstairs. He walked down the stairs, careful to not slip in the darkness. He peered out over the tavern that served as both a restaurant and the lobby. In the corner of the tavern was a single candle, burning quietly to reveal a young man working at a small table. Kenshin approached him quietly, as to not reveal his presence. The man was working on a glove outfitted with balls of many colors. Kenshin edged closer. The man said a single word that Kenshin couldn't hear and one of the balls glowed yellow with a strange light. The man stared at it for a second, then spoke out loud.
"I know you're there. Come on out."
Kenshin was surprised, but shrugged mentally. He wasn't the only one in the world with highly tuned senses, and besides, it wasn't like he had been planning to kill the man, he had just been curious. He walked unhindered to the table and sat down, finally getting a good look at the man. He had very spiky blond hair, like some kind of bird feathers. He wore strange armor on his shoulders. On the table were the strange gloves, embedded in them were different colored balls. There was a huge sword leaning against the wall behind him, probably, by its size, bigger than the man himself.. And his eyes…they weren't natural. They had a strange glow in them. The man noticed him staring.
"People call them Mako eyes."
"Huh?"
"My eyes. You were staring at them."
"Sorry, didn't notice, that I did."
The man shrugged.
"Don't worry 'bout it. Lots of people do that. I guess I'm just a strange person. What do you need, anyway?"
Kenshin gave him his usual smile.
"I was wondering about you, that I was. When did you get in?"
"I came in around midnight. The innkeeper told me there were no free rooms but I was welcome to stay here."
"Where are you from?"
He smiled, strange, but he did.
"Would you believe me if I said I was from the future?"
He isn't lying. His aura would show it if he was. But then again, his aura is strange, like it WAS from a different time. And what about those strangely colored balls? This wasn't not normal.
"Well, that's something. I won't ask you for the details…oh, I didn't introduce myself. My name's Himura Kenshin. I'm a wanderer."
"My name is Cloud. I'm a wanderer as well."
That was interesting. It truly was.
"Why are you a wanderer? Care to tell?"
He looked away.
"I am searching for a jewel to save someone very dear to me."
Uh, oh.
"Would that be the shikon jewel?"
He looked up.
"Have you heard about it? I need it. I heard it was shattered and all."
Kenshin didn't answer. Cloud asked him a simple question.
"Do you have any shards?"
Kenshin smiled faintly.
"That we do."
Cloud's slightly friendly face changed in an instant. His aura darkened a bit.
"Give them to me. Now."
Kenshin dropped his smile.
"Sorry, I can't. There are things I need to do as well."
Clouds tone turned more menacing.
"Dont make me have to kill you. Give me the damn shards."
Kenshin answered him with a mean glare in his eye.
"I don't feel like killing you right now. You better run, and leave the shards behind, or else…I'll have to kill you, and I will."
"That is unlikely."
Kenshin stood up and left, leaving a young man reminded of his promise. Cloud picked up his glove, studded with different colored balls, and put it on. He pointed it at the lit candle.
"Wind."
A blue ball lit momentarily, before a gust of wind put out the candle and put the room to darkness.
***
Morning broke in on a sleepy hanyou with full force. Inuyasha didn't even yawn as he got up in the fresh morning. Kagome was still sleeping with a peaceful look on her face. Kenshin was as well, but without the look. Inuyasha looked back to Kagome. She was pretty when she was like that, unlike when she was using the 'sit' command. He watched her for a few minutes before she woke up, yawning groggily. Kenshin just stood up with no sleep after-effects. She smiled.
"Good Morning."
Kenshin smiled at her once again.
"A fine morning, that it is."
She dug into her pack.
Her stomach growled.
"Boy, I'm hungery! We should get something to eat after I change."
They both just stared.
"Ahem…"
They both just stared.
"I need to change!"
Question marks appeared over both their heads.
"GET OUT!"
"Ohhhhh…" They both said in unison.
They both walked out. Inuyasha didn't even comment as he left.
"Sheesh! Are they really that clueless?" She said to herself as she started to change.
She had no idea how right she was about one thing, they were clueless…about love. Especially Inuyasha!
***
When they arrived in the restaurant, the innkeeper served them all food, hot bacon and eggs. They packed it in. Inuyasha didn't even stop to breath, and Kagome, well, she ate like there was no tommorow. Kenshin, however, ate slowly, thoughtfully. Cloud wasn't here. He hoped that Cloud had left, he didn't want to have to fight him. But wanderers were destined to fight, whether they wanted to or not. Kagome noticed the look on Kenshin's face.
"Hey Kenshin, whats wrong?" Kagome asked.
He smiled at her.
"Oh, nothing."
He sipped at his tea, watching Kagome and Inuyasha fight over the food. He silently payed the bill that the innkeeper brought, leaving them to scrounge around on their plates for extra food. He filled up his cup one last time before the pot went empty. They departed without a word, leaving the inn and onto the road.
"So, which way now?"
Inuyasha shrugged.
"We should head east of course. The ocean is that way, maybe there's a shard over there."
"Okay!" Kagome said cheerfully.
They headed for the edge of town. Kenshin was silent. There was a probing thought in the back of his head, a warning. He knew what it was when he saw it, a lone man standing in the road. Cloud waited for him, and ready to fight the battle he didn't want to.
*Author notes: Kind of a cliffhanger. I'll try better next time.*