Thank you Lumnahguy (did I spell your name right?) for the review.

Tanis owns a Sword, a kimono, and a cheap pair of sandals, but still no Kenshin. Don't sue; I'm just a looser author.

Ok

Here is pretty Chapter 3 entitled "A Breath of Solid Air"

"Where!"

Yahiko's shout was unnecessary in the silence, but the excitement of the prospect of finding their wandering-ahead samurai was overpowering. Kaoru smacks him,

"Keep your voice down, baka. He and Sano are there, across the chasm."

Indeed, there were the two they sought, but they weren't quite on the opposite side from them. Kenshin and Sanoske are winding their way through the boulders. Kaoru has to stop herself, again, from calling out their names. This was so irritating how that pair managed to stay merely steps ahead of her! Her hand grips her bokun in fury that swiftly abates. She takes a determined step forward, drawing Yahiko and Megumi's attention to her. The dark haired girl doesn't let her eyes lose the trail Denshin and Sanoske are leaving for her to follow: themselves.

"Come on. We're going."

Megumi's logic snaps up in the form of a disrupting hinderment,

"But how can we make sure we can get back?"

"We don't know if we can. Yahiko, stick your hand through the boulder where we entered from."

"Don't tell me what to do, Busu."

He thrusts his arm forward hurriedly when Kaoru moves toward him furnishing her weapon. They indeed have a passage back to Tokyo.

"Good. Megumi, you stay between Yahiko and myself. There may be others besides us and those in the bowl."

"And the murderer"

Yahiko had to add. Kaoru disappears behind a silent stone giant and the three pick up their pace after their illusive companions.

"Kenshin, is that him?"

The once-Battosai's death glare is answer enough for Sano. Their quarry is cornered between a boulder and a small, twiggish tree. He appears to be kicking at something in the dirt at the base of the scrawny vegetation with a purple boot. Sano sized up this peace-sucking intruder. The six feet of the man is squeezed into tight purple material. Sporting a cape with sleeves and tall gold hair shocks Sano by the murderers idiosyncrasy. The guy looks like a skinny, purple pansy,

"Kenshin, I'll rush him first."

"We attack together."

Something in the Samurai's tone deterred all opposition,

"You from the bottom and I from the top."

Sano nods his willing readiness. That is all the prompting the assassin desires. He shimmers from Sanoske's side, Kenshin speeding for his prey at the legendary God-like speed. His hand is gripping the handle of the sakbato, ready to slice from the ribs up toward the criminals'....and the attacker stops mid-stride. The irregular enemy is descending a silver staircase into the ground! Sano's attack is toppled back at the starting point. The pair of hunters watch as the victim's head is swallowed by the silver slit.

"What the hell?"

Sano is beside Kenshin. They stare at the ground beside the miniscule tree. A slab of gray stone bears a similar carving to that of the twin cherry tree colossals.

"Kenshin, he's running. Let's go back. That bastard can just rot in his own little underground He-"

"Sanoske. You don't have to come, but I am avenging Shogo. He was my comrade."

"Fine. You know I won't leave you, so let's kick some Blondie's purple butt."

Kenshin agrees by stepping on the strange carving, opening up the silver staircase. He descends first. Sanoske allows the silver to glide back over his companion's head before he himself grimaces and steps upon the unknown.

"WHAT ARE THEY DONG!!!!?????!!!!!"

Yahiko clamps a hand over Kaoru's lips and shoves her into the darkness. Megumi follows.

"Shut up, Busu! They just disappeared underground, what do you think they were doing?!"

"But we were so close...You should have let me call them!"

"And alert the sorcerers to us? Yes, excellent strategy."

"Well, they probably know we're here now." Megumi states.

"Nice one, Ugly."

"Shut up, Yahiko! You're not helping this any."

"Whatever. I'm following them."

"So am I, come on Megumi."

"Well, um....."

She is ignored and dragged toward the tree. Her eyes see the same eye glaring up at her like a dreadful omen of-

"Kaoru, wait!"

The silver stairs open. Kaoru tows her down....down under the night sky. Under the ground. Away from the air.

The fog is suffocating! It burns Kenshin's eyes as he and Sano trudge deeper, trying to find the same path the adversary took....to no avail.

Lost.

Really frikkn lost.

Hahaha

I'm late getting back to my house by a half an hour. I have my mom's truck and she's gonna kick my butt.

R/r.

laterz

luvs

tanis