Chapter 2
Somewhere
"Owww...." Kenshin opened his eyes and raised his hand to his throbbing head as he sat up and studied his surroundings. As far as he could tell he was sitting on a hill overlooking a small village. "Strange... I don't remember any village that looks like this..." Kenshin stood up and tried to remember how he had got there. Sensing movement behind him, Kenshin's eyes flew open and his hand was gripped tightly on his sword by the time he turned around.
"Hmmm... your still quick as usual." Saitoh Hajime stepped out from behind a tree and faced Kenshin.
"Saitoh... but how?" Realizing that Sano and Yahiko was nowhere to be found Kenshin glared at Saitoh. "Where are my friends?"
"Oh.. you mean the brat and that chicken-head?" Saitoh scoffed and said, "They're still knocked out... Aoshi is looking after them."
Knowing that his friends were safe Kenshin relaxed a little. He knew Saitoh well enough to trust that he meant what he said. Then his eyes widened as he understood the full statement. "Aoshi's here too? How did you get here Saitoh? Where is here?"
"I have no idea. I met up with Aoshi and he told me that he saw you jump into a black hole. Then as we were about to spar a bolt of lightning hit the ground and a black hole opened up. Realizing that this was probably the same hole you jumped into we jumped in as well." Saitoh reached in his pocket and withdrew a cigarette and leaned against the tree before he continued. "As far as figuring out where we are our best bet is to probably go down to the village and ask." Saitoh took a slow drag of his cigarette and looked at Kenshin. "So what's your story? Why did you jump into that black hole anyway?"
Kenshin looked down toward the village and replied, "I saw Sano fall into the hole and then Yahiko following close behind. I couldn't stand the thought of losing them so I jumped in. I wasn't thinking clearly." Kenshin glanced at Saitoh and asked, "Saitoh... you told me how you got here but I want to know why... why did you jump into the hole?"
Saitoh tossed his cigarette to the side and pushed himself off the tree. "You know why Kenshin... you and me have unfinished business and how are we supposed to finish if you disappear?"
Before Kenshin could speak Aoshi's voice rang out from behind the tree. "Hey I think they're coming around. Hey kid can you hear me?"
Kenshin shot one last glance at Saitoh, who was leaning on the tree once again, and ran over to his friends. "Yahiko... Sano... you guys ok?"
Sano rubbed his head and replied, "Yea but my head is killing me..." Seeing Aoshi standing behind Kenshin, Sano jumped up and clenched his fists, "Kenshin look out! It's Aoshi!"
"Aoshi?!" Yahiko cried out as he jumped to his feet and unstrapped the kendo stick from his back.
Kenshin smiled and told his companions, "Easy guys... Aoshi was the one that looked over you guys while you guys were out."
Aoshi frowned and retorted, "Yea that's right... sheesh try to help people and they want to kill you as soon as they wake up..."
"You two brats woulda been dead by now if I had wanted to kill you so just relax alright?" Saitoh appeared from behind the tree with a wolfish grin on his face.
"Saitoh?!" Yahiko and Sano yelled at the same time.
"The one and only..." Saitoh replied with a bow. "Now how bout we all sit down and we can tell our version of how we got here and what we should do next."
"Yea that seems like a good idea" Kenshin closed his eyes and continued, "I'll start..."
A few hours later
"So that's what happened to me." Sano finished his story and laid down on the grass. "As far as I can say I think the best course of action would be, as everyone said, to go check out the village and try to find out where we are."
Kenshin opened his eyes for the first time since they started this discussion. "Alright then. Let's go down and say hi to the villagers."
By the time Kenshin and his friends reached the village the sun had already gone down so they set off to find an inn. As they walked down the street they noticed that the villagers looked upon them with fear. Everytime they approached a villager to ask for directions the man or woman took off running. Even the children steered clear of them. Some of them burst into tears when Kenshin tried to wave at them. Saitoh suddenly stopped and pointed at a poster on the town bulletin board. Posted beneath a giant wanted sign were pictures of Kenshin, Yahiko, Sano, Aoshi, and Saitoh. Kenshin read the memo beneath the pictures out loud.
"Wanted: the Crimson Flag Gang, for the following crimes: Theft of government property, assassination of 14 government officials, murder of 52 civilians and bombing of 5 government buildings. Reward 10,000,000 yen. Caution these men are considered armed and very dangerous, approach with caution." As Kenshin finished reading he noticed that the street was empty and his friends looked shocked.
"Look this guy even has the cross-shaped scar like you do Kenshin." Yahiko commented. "Wow this is weird..."
Before Kenshin could reply the group of warriors heard a loud rumbling noise. When they turned to see what was making such noise they saw an army of men on horseback and on foot approaching them.
"They don't look like they want to hear any explanations.. I suggest we RUN!" Yahiko turned and started to run the other way when he realized that another army was racing toward them. They were surrounded. "Kenshin... we got a big problem here..."
Saitoh unsheathed his sword and smiled ferally. "There isn't a problem... we'll just fight our way through!" Saitoh got into his fighting stance as Aoshi unsheathed his swords and prepared to fight. "Hehe let's see what these guys are made of..." With that Saitoh and Aoshi rushed to meet the wall of men coming toward them.
"Kenshin... we can't let Saitoh and Aoshi go by themselves... they'll get killed... I'm going after them." Sano turned and ran off behind Saitoh and Aoshi. "Besides I could use a good fight." Sano called out over his shoulder.
"Sano! Wait for me!" Yahiko yelled as he ran to catch up. With his kendo stick in hand he chased after Sano.
Kenshin looked back at the group approaching from behind them. Well at least I won't kill anyone. Kenshin turned and raced toward Yahiko and the others.
Somewhere
"Owww...." Kenshin opened his eyes and raised his hand to his throbbing head as he sat up and studied his surroundings. As far as he could tell he was sitting on a hill overlooking a small village. "Strange... I don't remember any village that looks like this..." Kenshin stood up and tried to remember how he had got there. Sensing movement behind him, Kenshin's eyes flew open and his hand was gripped tightly on his sword by the time he turned around.
"Hmmm... your still quick as usual." Saitoh Hajime stepped out from behind a tree and faced Kenshin.
"Saitoh... but how?" Realizing that Sano and Yahiko was nowhere to be found Kenshin glared at Saitoh. "Where are my friends?"
"Oh.. you mean the brat and that chicken-head?" Saitoh scoffed and said, "They're still knocked out... Aoshi is looking after them."
Knowing that his friends were safe Kenshin relaxed a little. He knew Saitoh well enough to trust that he meant what he said. Then his eyes widened as he understood the full statement. "Aoshi's here too? How did you get here Saitoh? Where is here?"
"I have no idea. I met up with Aoshi and he told me that he saw you jump into a black hole. Then as we were about to spar a bolt of lightning hit the ground and a black hole opened up. Realizing that this was probably the same hole you jumped into we jumped in as well." Saitoh reached in his pocket and withdrew a cigarette and leaned against the tree before he continued. "As far as figuring out where we are our best bet is to probably go down to the village and ask." Saitoh took a slow drag of his cigarette and looked at Kenshin. "So what's your story? Why did you jump into that black hole anyway?"
Kenshin looked down toward the village and replied, "I saw Sano fall into the hole and then Yahiko following close behind. I couldn't stand the thought of losing them so I jumped in. I wasn't thinking clearly." Kenshin glanced at Saitoh and asked, "Saitoh... you told me how you got here but I want to know why... why did you jump into the hole?"
Saitoh tossed his cigarette to the side and pushed himself off the tree. "You know why Kenshin... you and me have unfinished business and how are we supposed to finish if you disappear?"
Before Kenshin could speak Aoshi's voice rang out from behind the tree. "Hey I think they're coming around. Hey kid can you hear me?"
Kenshin shot one last glance at Saitoh, who was leaning on the tree once again, and ran over to his friends. "Yahiko... Sano... you guys ok?"
Sano rubbed his head and replied, "Yea but my head is killing me..." Seeing Aoshi standing behind Kenshin, Sano jumped up and clenched his fists, "Kenshin look out! It's Aoshi!"
"Aoshi?!" Yahiko cried out as he jumped to his feet and unstrapped the kendo stick from his back.
Kenshin smiled and told his companions, "Easy guys... Aoshi was the one that looked over you guys while you guys were out."
Aoshi frowned and retorted, "Yea that's right... sheesh try to help people and they want to kill you as soon as they wake up..."
"You two brats woulda been dead by now if I had wanted to kill you so just relax alright?" Saitoh appeared from behind the tree with a wolfish grin on his face.
"Saitoh?!" Yahiko and Sano yelled at the same time.
"The one and only..." Saitoh replied with a bow. "Now how bout we all sit down and we can tell our version of how we got here and what we should do next."
"Yea that seems like a good idea" Kenshin closed his eyes and continued, "I'll start..."
A few hours later
"So that's what happened to me." Sano finished his story and laid down on the grass. "As far as I can say I think the best course of action would be, as everyone said, to go check out the village and try to find out where we are."
Kenshin opened his eyes for the first time since they started this discussion. "Alright then. Let's go down and say hi to the villagers."
By the time Kenshin and his friends reached the village the sun had already gone down so they set off to find an inn. As they walked down the street they noticed that the villagers looked upon them with fear. Everytime they approached a villager to ask for directions the man or woman took off running. Even the children steered clear of them. Some of them burst into tears when Kenshin tried to wave at them. Saitoh suddenly stopped and pointed at a poster on the town bulletin board. Posted beneath a giant wanted sign were pictures of Kenshin, Yahiko, Sano, Aoshi, and Saitoh. Kenshin read the memo beneath the pictures out loud.
"Wanted: the Crimson Flag Gang, for the following crimes: Theft of government property, assassination of 14 government officials, murder of 52 civilians and bombing of 5 government buildings. Reward 10,000,000 yen. Caution these men are considered armed and very dangerous, approach with caution." As Kenshin finished reading he noticed that the street was empty and his friends looked shocked.
"Look this guy even has the cross-shaped scar like you do Kenshin." Yahiko commented. "Wow this is weird..."
Before Kenshin could reply the group of warriors heard a loud rumbling noise. When they turned to see what was making such noise they saw an army of men on horseback and on foot approaching them.
"They don't look like they want to hear any explanations.. I suggest we RUN!" Yahiko turned and started to run the other way when he realized that another army was racing toward them. They were surrounded. "Kenshin... we got a big problem here..."
Saitoh unsheathed his sword and smiled ferally. "There isn't a problem... we'll just fight our way through!" Saitoh got into his fighting stance as Aoshi unsheathed his swords and prepared to fight. "Hehe let's see what these guys are made of..." With that Saitoh and Aoshi rushed to meet the wall of men coming toward them.
"Kenshin... we can't let Saitoh and Aoshi go by themselves... they'll get killed... I'm going after them." Sano turned and ran off behind Saitoh and Aoshi. "Besides I could use a good fight." Sano called out over his shoulder.
"Sano! Wait for me!" Yahiko yelled as he ran to catch up. With his kendo stick in hand he chased after Sano.
Kenshin looked back at the group approaching from behind them. Well at least I won't kill anyone. Kenshin turned and raced toward Yahiko and the others.