Disclaimer: don't own Kenshin, I'd say that I own half of Kaoru and Sanosuke's arm but that would be a lie.
A short while later, after Saitoh and Kenshin had returned to the Aoiya, they were seated in the largish area that served as the kitchen, with the other inhabitants of the Aoiya. Each of them had a fresh cup of steaming green tea in front of them and were waiting impatiently, desperately wanting to know why Kenshin and Saitoh had returned from the restaurant in the condition they had.
Kenshin gave a small sigh of resolution, shot Saitoh a quick almost pleading look and began.
Kenshin's vision
Kenshin found himself hurrying through the dark winding streets of a city he both knew and did not know, a blanket of stars, breaking the darkness of the sky overhead. Kenshin found his head looking up, without his body stopping, and a covering of clouds shifted away from the moon, lighting up the surrounding streets with a translucent glow.
As he half ran through the shadowy streets of the town, Kenshin realised that though the buildings looked old, they were much newer than he remembered, he also found that he could not remember the name of the city. He palmed this information off though, ten years of being a wanderer, and anyone was bound to forget what a town looks like. Kenshin's body abruptly stopped without his permission, Kenshin gasped mentally and tried to wiggle his fingers, nothing happened, it was then Kenshin realised he was in another vision, although, unlike the previous one, in this one he appeared to have no free movement at all.
He immediately tried to absorb all the information he could about his surrounding situation, if he could remember the name of this town, he might be able to prevent another restaurant disaster.
His body suddenly broke into action; it looked around itself with quick, sharp movements of its head, before ducking into the side streets behind a nearby fish shop.
Several minutes passed where Kenshin felt his body running through the shadows, with much less than his usual grace, he was also interested to find his body tiring, something it normally wouldn't do in the relatively short distance he had been running.
His body stopped abruptly, sliding quietly to a halt, before pressing itself against a wall, his head checked around the corner in one sharp controlled movement. Seeing no one, his uncontrollable hand placed itself on the hilt of a sword Kenshin had noticed banging against his leg in the dash across town. He found himself leaving the shadowy confines of the alleyway and walking quite casually into one of the dark buildings.
Kenshin looked quickly around the room, it was bare, completely devoid of any furniture, and it contained a strange smell, a mixture between rainwater, blood and chemicals.
A small group of men walked silently into the room, they stopped a short distance away and Kenshin felt his body bow, one man, slightly stocky and much taller than the other two stepped forwards. Kenshin could feel his body shaking slightly.
'Tefura Hakunagi of the revered Tora Kiri tribe of ancient swordsmanship and sorcery.' The man intoned in a dry, silky voice that reverberated off the bare walls of the room. 'You have come here tonight with the intention of gaining on eof the most respected and sought after talismans known to humankind, at this the date of October 6, 1293.' The tall man continued.
Kenshin felt his mind freeze. 1293?! He thought wildly. But that's hundreds of years ago. His thoughts were shattered as the man's deep reverberating voice continued.
'I Koshi Yokomizo have been granted by the elders of out ancient coven to decide if the Stone of Kako is undeniably your birthright to receive.' He held up the green stone that Kenshin was so familiar with, Kenshin gasped internally as he looked at the stone that first introduced him to this strange new world.
The tall man walked slowly and deliberately towards Kenshin, who was still kneeling on the compact dirt of the floor.
Kenshin felt his body reaching out towards the stone, his shaking hand even more pronounced.
No. Kenshin screamed in his mind. NO!
As Koshi Yokomizo moved the stone closer to Kenshin's face, he could make out a reflection in the shiny surface of the stone. It was himself, yet not himself, he was much younger, about the age of Battousai. Unlike Battousai however the young man reflected in the stone had eyes that were clear and expressive. Kenshin knew instinctively that although this young man had faced many things in his young life he had not had the past of Battousai, there was no bloodshed by his hand.
Kenshin felt his body begin to chant in the strange language that he couldn't understand, the stone, as though reacting to the chanting began to glow so brightly it hurt to look at. Kenshin tried desperately to look away, shut his eyes anything to stop the brightness that seemed to reach back into his skull.
Just when his mind was screaming in agony, he felt the familiar jerk as his mind left the still chanting body to join once again with his original form.
End vision
Saitoh sat, astonished as Kenshin's tale drew to a close. Neither man had shared his vision with the other as they had assumed they had been the same. Saitoh now realised they had been wrong.
Saitoh had, while Kenshin had been talking, taken that opportunity to study the younger man. The main reason Saitoh had chosen not to reveal his own vision, was because he was unfamiliar with the feelings they brought about.
He had never known before what a tortured soul the ex-hitokiri had, until he had witnessed the younger guilt free Kenshin in his vision. The disturbing part was that Saitoh was now feeling a certain fatherly concern towards the man he had wanted dead for some many years. There was a small, yet extremely strong part of him that wanted Kenshin's wellbeing more than anything, yet if felt almost as though it were a separate entity, a part of him that should have died long ago.
Saitoh's head snapped up, breaking him of his reverie. What was THAT?
Saitoh stood abruptly, feeling a strange almost pleasant force emanating from outside near the back gardens.
Kenshin who was answering the others' questions about his vision, stumbled to a halt. His confused amber eyes following the policeman's path as he walked silently towards the back shouji.
The others spun around in their places, each one confused by the ex-shinsengumi's uncharacteristic behaviour. Saitoh paused beside the door, carefully preventing himself from casting a shadow on the thin paper covering the door.
Kenshin half stood as he realised the wolf sensed a strange presence. He positioned himself in front of Kaoru and Yahiko being careful to stay directly between them and the path of the door just in case something should happen. He cast out his senses and was surprised when he felt a very strange ki. He hadn't noticed it because for some reason it felt as familiar as the life forces of his closest friends.
He was still pondering this small phenomenon as Saitoh placed one hand gently on the sliding door, but before he could slide it open. There was a strange whispered muttering and it blasted in from the outside, showering Kenshin and the others with splinters and debris, and momentarily blocking everyone's view with the dust that flew into the air.
The group waited nervously for someone to come through the door as the dust began to fall back to the floor. When enough dust had settled to allow the group to see a dark shape standing in the broken frame of the doorway, Saitoh slid into a gatotsu stance.
'I suggest you explain yourself immediately that I do.' Kenshin informed the newcomer, also reaching for his sword. He could just make out a faint green glowing coming from the library upstairs, in his peripheral vision.
Saitoh slid further down into his favourite stance, looking carefully at the man in the doorway. He was wearing the same style cloak as the floating man, although this man was in a dark, dark blue, his face was hidden under the hood and all they could make out was the gleaming of his eyes, in the depth of the hood.
The mysterious man raised one hand slowly until it was at shoulder height and pointed it at Shiro who's eyes widened as the man began chanting in that same monotonous tone. The mans hand began to glow a faint puple-blue, and Kuro finally recognising the danger dove forwards and pushed Shiro out of dangers way, just as the purple light left the mans hand.
The light hit Kuro right in the shoulder and he fell to the floor screaming in agony, as he appeared to swell up right before everyone's eyes.
'Kuro!' Misao screamed falling to her knees beside her writhing friend. 'KURO!!!"
'You…' Kenshin began his amber eyes glowing as he stared at the unidentifiable man, who was still standing in the doorway. 'What did you do to him?'
The man didn't answer, instead he turned his head to look at Saitoh, then back to Kenshin. His face broke into a smile, the only evidence of this the gleaming white of his teeth as the sun reflected off them.
He lifted his hand once again, this time pointing it at Sanosuke, who took a half a step backwards. He began chanting, and his hand lit up once again with a faint purple light.
Kenshin took a step forwards and a strange feeling of calm overtook him as he stood directly between Sano and the hooded man, Kenshin unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the man, he began to chant in the same language he had used in the restaurant. His sword began to glow with a green light, the light bouncing off the sword and into his strangely angry eyes giving him a demonic look.
The other man faltered as Kenshin's sword became brighter and he took a step forwards. Kenshin took one more step forward and lunged at the man, being careful to not actually touch him with the blade of his sakabatou. The green light that had gathered there was flung off, straight at the other chanting man, and hit him square in the chest.
There was a moment of silence, broken only by Kenshin's panting, as the man grinned evilly. 'You have passed the test.' He informed the stunned group, before he bowed once and turned around to leave.
Saitoh moving faster than lightning made a grab at the mans back, letting out a startled gasp when his hand passed right through, there was a second when the whole group looked on in astonishment, then the cloak that still looked as though it had someone in it began dripping water. The next instant litres and litres of water rushed out of the cloak and all over the garden path, the cloak hanging wet and limp in Saitoh's hand.
"A puppet.' He said wiping his wet hands on his jacket in disgust and reaching into his pocket for a cigarette.
'Kenshin?' Sano asked sounding worried.
A harsh panting still filled the silence, the group turned to see Kenshin leaning heavily on his katana, sweat plastering his flaming red hair to his forehead and his legs were shaking uncontrollably.
'I'm… fine that… I am…' He panted standing up quickly as he realised that everyone was watching. This proved to be a bad idea, as the dizziness he was feeling began to overcome him, he stumbled slightly.
'Kenshin?' Asked Kaoru.
'I..I'm…fi…' He fell forwards, as he passed out, completely exhausted, several people rushed forwards to catch him, but surprisingly the first one to reach him was Saitoh.
He picked the younger man up gently, looking at the surprised group with a superior glance.
'Well?' He asked impatiently. 'Are you just going to look at me, or are you going to tell me where his room is?'
Kaoru was the first to recover. 'Thi…This way.' She muttered before striding quickly out of the room.
Aoshi followed quickly and silently, carrying the unconscious Kuro in his own arms, he was stopped however by Misao.
'Aoshi-sama, what happened to him?' She asked sadly, looking into her friends peaceful face, as he slept.
'The tora kiri, it would appear have not died out.' He answered. 'They were well known for water manipulation, that is how the man we saw here today was nothing but a puppet made of water, it seems that someone is able to channel their powers through the water puppets. That puppet manipulated the water in Kuro's body inside his organs, causing them to swell up almost to the stage of bursting.'
Misao gasped, both her hands flying to her mouth as she looked again at her unconscious friend.
'He'll be alright, with some rest.' The taller ninja said in a surprisingly gentle voice. 'It would appear that they did not yet want to kill anyone here, they instead simply wanted to test out our skills.'
'But, how did Kenshin do that… thing with his sword?' Yahiko asked, joining the conversation.
'As to that, I am unsure.' Aoshi answered, looking up the stairs to where Kenshin lay in his room. 'Although it certainly brings up some interesting questions.'
A/N: I just want to say thank you for anyone and everyone that has taken the time to review this story so far, I am aware this has taken a while to come out, but things have happened that no one can control. Two of my friends have both recently, as in a month of each other, lost a parent. May Noora's mum and Cassie's dad rest in peace.
I would like to dedicate this chapter to them, as small as it may seem.