Hooray! Chapter 2 is up and running! I hope everyone will like it, despite it's shortness! And please please please review! I love to hear what people say!

American Orphan: Return to America

Chapter Two: Kidnapped!

Koji ran from the Kamyia Dojo, cheeks burning, to Takuro's home. She had always regarded him as her brother, because he was stricken with a brotherly affection for her, and fiercely protected her, much like a brother would. Koji had no problem of thinking of this young sailor as her brother, having no siblings of her own. And he had a strong shoulder for her to cry one.

Goodness knows she needs it now.

Koji, swept up in her grief, did not notice the shadow that slipped behind her.

Takuro was pleasantly surprised when he saw Koji at his door, but the surprise quickly turned to concern when he saw the tears streaked on her face. He took her into his arms and she wept her sorrows out into his gi. He brought her inside, with her still crying into the crook of one of his arms. Waotaka, who happened to be visiting, discussing their next voyage, quickly stood up when he saw the stricken Koji, he sat her down on a pillow, poured her some tea, and placed the cup into her trembling hands. Takuro and Waotaka waited as she began to calm down. Koji started to hiccup, eventually.

"Koji," said Takuro gently, "what's wrong?"

Koji sniffed. "Oh, the (hic) usual," she said through hiccups. "I'm just being my (hic) spoiled self, not wanting my (hic) powers, and wanting to go home, and knowing (hic) I can't have any (hic) thing I want because it's not (hic) possible."

"You're not spoiled," said Waotaka softly. "Just…" he paused, choosing his words carefully, "Just unlucky. In essence, you are just like Takuro and myself. All of us have lost people we loved, and for reasons we don't quite understand."

Koji nodded. "I suppose (hic) you're right," she said. "But I never asked (hic) for any of this." Waotaka nodded. "None of us ask for things we don't want, Koji," he said kindly. "But sometimes we have to ride out the storm that the gods blow our way. It is up to us to keep our ships afloat."

Koji managed to smile beneath her tears. "My ship is surly sinking then," she said, her hiccups finally gone. Waotaka laughed. "Maybe not," he said. "I know that one day you will be a force to recon with. No one will think of crossing the Great Betto Koji."

Koji frowned. "I don't want to be the Great Betto or the Great anything! I just want to be normal." She sipped her tea slowly, and could feel herself relaxing a bit more. Waotaka sighed.

"The gods have sent you a much crueler storm, I believe, than any storm I have had to battle, real or metaphoric or otherwise. But you still need the skills to fight this storm. So I highly suggest that you return to your training." He smiled at her, and Koji nodded.

"So," she said, changing the subject, "are you two getting ready for your next voyage?"

And for a while they talked for the preparations that needed to be taken care of for the trip to America that Waotaka and Takuro would soon be making.

Koji liked to hear them talk about America. She could see her home very clearly in her mind, and liked to picture it very often while she listened to the two men speak. She very much wanted to go on a voyage with them, but there was a fear in her heart that loomed over her. Even if she did return home, she would be too afraid to step onto the shore.

It was well past noon when Koji felt up to returning to the dojo, and Waotaka and Takuro needed to prepare. So she bade them goodbye and left. As she walked down the street, Koji somehow felt that she was being followed. She decided to test that theory.

Immediately she turned into an obscure ally, where not many people walked. She did this for two reasons: 1- to bring a conflict (if there was one) away from the crowd of people and 2- to allow herself to see her shadow on the ground, and the shadow of her pursuer. There it was, the tip of a shadow that closely followed her.

Koji tried to keep herself from panicking. It could be Kenshin or someone else she knew, making sure she was all right. Then again, Kenshin knew better than to try and follow her. He would never be able to keep up.

She smiled to herself, and gathered her strength.

She focused on a point in the distance, and willed herself to it. She wasn't able to pop up there in an instant, (wouldn't that be nice!) but she was able to travel so quickly that she was unseen. However, her follower had anticipated this move, and Koji felt a whip wrap around her ankle. She fell to the ground, in pain. Before she could get up, there was a knife at her throat.

"Don't move," said her captor. Koji recognized his voice from her dream. She scoffed at him.

"I'm not afraid of you," she said to him. "I can obliterate you if I wanted to."

"I'm afraid that that isn't on the agenda today, my dear," said her captor.

Koji felt a hard blow on her head, and then nothing else.

Now Kenshin was worried. Koji had left in the morning, and it was near nightfall now. Where could she be? He decided to look around the town, in hopes that Koji might be in that area. To his disappointment, and ever-growing worry, he did not find her. When he returned to the dojo, however, Kaoru went running up to him, worry written all over her face.

"I found this note on the dojo door!" she told him. "It's from Koji!"

Kenshin read the note. It simply said, "I've gone back home." Kenshin's anger was mounting. The note, obviously, was not written in Koji's handwriting, but by someone else. But Kenshin didn't tell Kaoru that.

"That explains her absence today," said Kenshin pleasantly, and it was clear that he wouldn't say anything else about it. Kaoru narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't even try that this time, Kenshin," Kaoru scolded him. "I want to know what is going on! I hate it when you leave me in the dark; you know that!"

Kenshin sighed. Kaoru was not going to let up this time, was she?

"This one believes that Koji has not left of her own free will," said Kenshin. "This one thinks that she has been kidnapped."

There ya go! Chapter 2. I am pretty sure that this story is going to be a bit short, with short chapter, but it will have plenty of excitement, I promise you! Again, please review! I love feedback! See you all next time!