Tori and Samantha sat in Tori's living room. It was 9:00 at night and they were still absorbed in the Love Fortune. It was Tori's turn.
"Umm, sets see…" she muttered, "What you think would be good one?" Her eyes lit up. "Owww, I got one." She smiled mischievously. "How 'bout who will cough with me cough…"
Samantha retuned her smile. "Humm, let me see… …" She flipped down the cards. "Ahhh, looks like Dark has his eyes on you."
"Hum, yah, he's hot, but I'd prefer Inuyasha personally. I mean personally…" Tori ended mysteriously. "You got Yami, no fare,"
Samantha drew herself up proudly. "Yes, I know, isn't it sad. I almost pity you."
Tori frowned and gave San the 'evil eye'. "You have to rub it in."
"So," sand Samantha suddenly, "when did you say your dad would be back?"
"Oh, not till tomorrow afternoon."
"Just wondering…" She started to gather to cards into piles.
Just then there was a knock at the door. The girls froze. Tori hesitated. She'd always hated answering the doors. But she got to her feet as Sam continued organizing the cards. The knock came again. Tori headed over and answered it.
Kenshin stood in the doorway. "Konichiewa!" he said cheerfully, with a quick wave of his hand. "Can this one use your bathroom?"
Tori fell in dead faint. Kenshin didn't seem to notice.
" I went over to Sam's house and her papa said she wasen't there. So here this one came! Well just happened to passing by anyway and…"
Samantha pounced on Kenshin. She grabbed him by the kimono and dragged him inside. "Go then!" She slammed the door so heard the window pains rattled.
Kenshin pulled free and stared to back away. "Now settle down…"
Samantha drabbed Tori's sword of the shelf. Kenshin turned and fled. "This one is going! This one is going!"
"Going where?" she pulled the sword from its sheath.
Kenshin put up his hands smiling weakly. "N-now put that away. Th-th-this one might g-get hurt… … … You do know that's the sharp end? —Oro!"
Tori sat back on the rocking chair. "So, where have you been? What have you been doing?"
Kenshin flinched as he withdrew the icepack from his forehead reviling a nasty lump. "Well, this one has been traveling around allot. After what you did I thought this oneshould pays his respects to her land by helping the people. It was like I owed something to this weird society ("'Society', that a big word isn't it?" growled Samantha) ("You've been 'traveling', on foot?" cried Tori.) though your officers did seem to like what this one was doing. Got into a few tangles…"
"Let me guess, Himura," said Samantha dryly, "You're hiding from the cops?" Kenshin nodded. "Wow…how did I guess? Can you ever stay out of trouble?"
"I've been hiding up in the place you called the 'club house'."
"What?!" cried Tori, offended. "You over just three blocks away and you waited a year to stop by? You had us worried sick!" She seemed truly broken hearted.
"Well I was just walking by…"
"Oh, good grief!"
Tori was on her feet. Kenshin looked at her, eyebrows disappearing beneath his bangs. She threw her hair over her shoulder with a quick flick of her head. A smirk tugged at the corner of Samantha's mouth. She walked over to Himura's side and knelt down in front of him. Her eyes appeared to be very serious. Her arm snapped forward and grabbed hold of his kimono. He flushed involuntarily. Samantha withdrew a pile of cards card from the table behind her. She thumbed them into a fan. Himura had six hearts, Well, well ,well.
Tori edged closer to Kenshin, not taking her eyes or hands of him. "Sh-show me your home."
Kenshin pulled himself free. "I I'll do that…" he muttered uncertenly.
He got to his feet. Samantha pushed the card together and put them into her jacket pocket. Tori seemed also to come to herself as she rose to her feet with them. They follow him out into a pitch-black night.
Tori froze on the doorstep. She clapped her arms around her waist, shivering. "Woe. Ok. It's cold! I might need a coat. Be right back."
San sighed. "Hurry up. Ice Apparition," she added under her breath. Kenshin gave her a flitting glance.
For a brief moment everything seemed completely silent. Neither spoke. Thought only notice was the wind whistling through the trees and an occasional car off in the distance.
"AHHHHHH!"
Both Samantha and Kenshin jumped out of their skin. Tori came dashing out the door and slammed into the railing, coat hanging off one arm.
"What in the heck was that!" she screamed in alarm.
"I don't know, and I don't want to find out… … …Himura Kenshin! Get back here! Where do you think your going?"
Kenshin had turned away in blink of an eye and was now headingin the discretion of the shout, his hand clutching his sword hilt. Sam and Tori exchanged exasperated glances and took off after him. Now what is he up to? Tori gowned inwardly.
He was fast! When the girl finally caught up with him he was backed against the side of a house about a block down. The scream must have come from the backyard. Pressing himself against it wall, perfectly still, he was blending into the shadows. If Tori hadn't been looking for him she admitted she probably woundn't have seen him there.
They dashed up beside him. Sam was about to speak when he suddenly rounded on her, warning her to be silent. Tori noticed immediately that a change had come over him. All playful innocence had vanished from his features. There was a powerful awareness about him. Eyes normally like an open book seemed devoid of all emotion. Like stone. She suppressed a shutter.
He waved them back with a quick thrust of his arm and turned away, creping along the side of the house, his steps soundless. Sam and Tori followed him aways, but kept their distance. He peered around the side of the house and his gasp was like the growl of a wolf.
A young woman lay, pinned to the earth, with a large man atop her body. She was gagged. He held her down with his knees. In one hand he had a knife to her throat, with the other he was tearing off her jecket. Kenshin's knuckles became white as the grip on the katana tightened. Tori noticed that he trembled slightly.
"Kenshin…" she began in a whisper.
"Quiet," he snapped, in an unrecognizable steely voice. "Stay away from me." Tori recoiled. "Don't move from this spot till I tell you." And he stepped out form the shadows into the illumination of the streetlights.
Both attacker and victim look at Kenshin in alarm.
For moment no one moved. All eyes were on Himura, his light auburn hair stirring in the breeze. He stood upright, back strait, almost proud, and seemingly unaware of the piercing eyes that gazed upon him. His face was ridge like a mask, ofhate. The corner of his mouth was drawn back in a soundless snarl. He brought himself forward; his left had curled around the sheath. Then was the silence broken. Click! He thumbed his blade loose.
It was then the attacker realized what was happening, and he did not seem to think it would be a fight he could win. Not with his knife, against Kenshin's tachi. (QN: A tachi is the real name of a the traditional curved katana. And no, he dos not have his sakabatou "reverse-blade sword".) He leapt upon his feet, knife in hand—and plunged it right in the women's breast. Then without thought he turn to flee.
Kenshin gave a horrible cry of rage and leapt after the man with staggering agility. His eyesnow mad with rage. He seemed to glide rather then run. He over took his adversary with visible effort. Then he came to a stop suddenly, barring the man's way. The man slid to a stop, almost falling, shock written clearly on his face. Kenshin locked eyes with him. The man seemed become paralyzed. No word was spoken. At least not with words. The blade flew from its sheath, in a flash of moonlit steel. Tori covered her eyes.
There was a horrible sound of blade cutting flash, then the man scream, which was cut short and a soft thump as he fell upon the earth. Kenshin knelt and wiped his blade upon the grass. Then his eyes fell upon the woman. He quickly sheathed his katana and came and knelt by her side. He removed her gag and gently put a hand round her head and tried to lift it up. He hung his head. This time his trembling was visible.
"She's dead… … …" He whispered, his voice shaking with disbelief.
The girls ran over to him. "What the heck were you doing?" Samantha shrieked, her own voice trembling.
Kenshin did seem to hear her. He grabbed the handle of the knife and attempted to pull it from the body. "This one told you to stay away." The knife came loose.
San whacked him in the back of the head. "You wool brain! Don't touch that! Come on, lets just get out of here."
Kenshin appeared unaffected by her abuse this time. He held the knife in his fist by the blade. His grip tightened; the blade broke in half. Red appeared between his closed fingers. He opened his hand and cringed with the sharp pain, as the fragments fell into the grass. The new shock brought back Tori's voice.
"W-why did y-you k-kill him?"
Kenshin looked up at her. He seemed confused. "What do you mean?"
"Why did you kill that man?" Her voice became somewhat frantic.
Kenshin titled his had to one side. "This one never…" He drew out his tachi. The blade was still smeared. Those blue eyes opened wide with terror. The sword fell from his trembling hands; then his face was buried in them. "No… …"He whispered wretchedly.
The blazing sound of police sirens filled the night air. Tori and Sam forced themselves to their feet.
"Someone must have called the cops!" Samantha cried fearfully. "Come on we should get going." She rounded on Kenshin. "What are you waiting for? MOVE!"
But Himura didn't stir. He did even lower his hands. But remained on his knees, his bleeding hand staining his alreadyred kimono.
"Come on! Get up!" Tori pleaded.
At that moment the cop car sped into view, lightsflashing brilliantly. Samantha fled upon the instant and Tori hesitantly followed. The two ran down the street they had first come by. Samantha went all the way home, by Tori stopped only a few feet away from the hose. She looked around franticly before diving behind a car. She had to see what would happen to Kenshin. She felt somewhat guilty for leaving him, but could not bring herself to go back.
The cars swerved to a stop in front of the yard. The officers spring from the vehicles. They noted immediately the two bodies lying in the grass and Kenshin on his knees between them, hands and sword stained with blood. It did not take long to put it together. Guns were out of their holsters. Kenshin heard them being drawn and looked about in surprise, as though he was only just aware of officers, and saw ten odd gun barrels pointed at his face.
"Get on your feet away from the weapon. Hands where we can see them! No fast moves!" an officer shouted.
Kenshin obeyed. He rose, offhanded, his legs still clearly feeble. For a moment it look as thought they would give way. He was cuffed, and forced into the police car, if forced is the right word. He didn't speak a word, didn't try to resist. After the first car drove away, the officerssplit to search the area. Tori decided it was a good time to split herself.
Well, that was a bit more dramatic, was it not? Poor Kenshin (squeal .) Thanks for the reviews.I'm working on the grammar! Sorry about it >.