So I'm still not satisified with this chapter but I wanted to post something. I got a little writer's block in addittion to getting really discouraged with writing for a bit. The file for one of my other stories, "Seduction Beneath Darkness" got corrupted and I lost twelve pages of chapter 2. So if any one you are reading that one I honestly have no idea when it will be updated.

Thanks so much to everyone that reviewed on the first chapter and encouraged me to continue.

Chapter 2: Searching

"Aw, Master, you so look cute."

"I am not cute. Let it be known that Hiko Seijuro XIII is-not-cute." The pair of black eyes that glared up at the red cloud floating above them were almost lost in the black fur of the face that held them.

"Wait until the girls see you; we'll talk about it then."

"Whatever. Just change."

"How?"

A small growled resonated from the chest of Hiko's new form. "Just concentrate. Think about what you need to become and then become it. Simple even for you." He watched the red shimmer above him shake and vibrate but not transform. "Hurry up."

"I am hurrying!"

"Hurry faster."

"I could focus better if you left me alone."

"Just do it!"

The red shimmer began vibrating again. "Have I ever told you how irritating you are?"

"Multiple times." He watched as the shaking continued and the cloud became less transparent. "You're getting there. Keep concentrating." The vibrations quickened and the red became more and more solid until another form stood next to Hiko's on the ground. "See, that wasn't so hard."

"So you say." Kenshin turned his head around, examining his new body. His fur was long and red where his master's was black. He noticed that Hiko's fur was longer, but his tail was much fluffier. He lifted a paw up to his new face and flipped it over before flexing his claws.

Hiko took the few steps over to Kenshin and swatted him to the ground easily. Even in this form Hiko was still larger than his apprentice. "C'mon, we don't have anytime to waste."

"Why cats?" Kenshin asked as he rolled back onto his four feet.

"I already told you. We need to get down the mountain quickly and be in shape of an animal that will be able to get through Kyoto. Dogs are faster, but much larger and not nearly as stealthy. Or clean."

"You're afraid of getting dirty, Master?"

"Not really but it is easier to get closer to humans if you're not covered in filth. Especially humans that spend their days cleaning an inn."

"Oh, okay."

"So can we go now?"

"Yeah." Hiko turned and walked away from the red cat. Kenshin tried to take a step and found that he wasn't as coordinated on four legs as he was on two. He tried again and the movement was still jerky and extremely awkward to his new body. It was more like a lunge than a step. He glared at his master's gracefully retreating back.

"Walk like an animal, not a person, idiot," Hiko called back to Kenshin without stopping.

Kenshin and Hiko were darting through the crowded streets of Kyoto, desperate to reach the Aoiya before their other halves did. They were just emerging from yet another dead end and if possible Hiko was in a fouler mood than before.

"You spent enough time in this damn city when you were younger, one would be under the impression you would know your way around better!" he snapped.

"That was twenty years ago! You're the one that still lives here!"

"Yeah, well, I don't see it worthy of my time to traipse around in this wretched place!"

"Thanks for reminding me just how anti-social my master is, I had almost forgotten! How anyone can bear to tear themselves away from his charming personality I will never understand!"

"Shut up and get us there!"

"What do you think I've been trying to do? I'm doing the best I can! I told you I don't remember they city very well and what I do remember looks so different from this angle that it isn't doing me one bit of good!"

The two master swordsmen turned feline were attracting some very strange looks from the city dwellers as they watched a large black cat and a smaller red one rush through the streets apparently carrying on a very heated discussion. Luckily for them, they pair was too distracted to care what attention they were attracting or Hiko might have been tempted to test the sharpness of his new claws.

"Just because the angle is different doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to find your way!"

"You're so helpful!"

"Hey! I got us down here didn't I?"

"Any idiot could find his way down a mountain!"

"Not the idiot that wanted to go in the opposite direction of Kyoto once we got there!"

"I told you everything looks different from down here!"

"You're not that much shorter than you are in your human form! That's no excuse!"

"AAARRRGGGHHH!"

"It seems as though I have struck a nerve," Hiko said maliciously. Harassing his pupil was definitely taking some of the edge off.

"When have you not struck a nerve? All you do is piss people off! It must be your mission in life!"

"No, apparently my mission in life is to clean up my idiot apprentice's messes! Over and over I have to solve problems you create!"

"Don't blame this all on me!"

"Who else should I blame it on? If you had finished your training when you were supposed to none of this would ever have happened!"

"So you'd rather be dead?"

"I wouldn't be a cat running blindly through Kyoto trying to find one inn so I coulddiscover a way to get my body back!"

"You've been to the Aoiya before! Since you're so brilliant, Master, why don't you lead us?"

"Because some idiot didn't tell me how to get there the first time and I wandered all over Kyoto before I caught a glimpse of Fuji and knew where to head!"

There was an absurd amount of foot traffic that had stopped by this point to make way for the two cats that left a horde of snarls and hisses in their wake. As they ran through the parted crowd a cry of "Momma! Momma, look!" reached Kenshin's ears. Kenshin stopped and spun around to search for owner of the voice.

"We don't have any time to waste!" Hiko snapped when he realized his apprentice had stopped.

"I heard Kenji." Kenshin took a few steps as if in a daze. "This way . . ." Hiko grunted and ran behind his student as they searched for Kenji.

Not as fast as they were in their normal forms, it took the pair a few minutes to locate Kenji. With him they found Kaoru, Misao, and Mikio, Misao and Aoshi's son. Kenji and Mikio, only half a year apart in age, were playing in the dirt as their mothers talked to a shop owner. Kenshin slowed his pace and calmly walked over to his family.

Kenshin had made a beeline for Kaoru but three quarters of the way there found himself suspended in the air by a tiny pair of arms. He turned his head to see his son's face and snuggled into his arms, trying to hug him back. The boy squealed in delight at not being rejected by the animal and captured his mother's attention.

"Kenji, what did you find?" She was smiling as she walked over to her son, intent on not ruining his fun.

"Kitty," he said proudly.

Kaoru reached down to pet Kenshin and he purred loudly. He didn't try to leave his son's arms because he didn't want to upset him, but he desperately wanted to get to Kaoru. "He's a very pretty kitty, isn't he?"

"Um-hm," Kenji said with a nod and a smile. Kenshin purred louder as Kaoru's fingers scratched under his chin. His eyes were closed and Kaoru hadn't seen the color of them.

A few feet away Mikio and Hiko were starring at each other. It was obvious the boy wanted to hold the black cat the way his friend was holding the red one, but wouldn't go get him on his own. Misao had come up behind her son and saw his dilemma. Paying no mind to Hiko's scowl she scooped him into her arms and knelt in front of her son.

Mikio, so like his father, squealed like Kenji had in a rare moment of showing emotion. Misao smiled and passed Hiko to Mikio's arms. He held the animal carefully and was petting his head softly. Hiko didn't like the treatment but he dealt with it passively.

Kaoru and Kenji walked over to Misao and her son. Kenshin was nestled comfortably in Kenji's arms and couldn't help but laugh at his master's predicament.

"Aw, Master, he likes you," he said in a sickly-sweet voice.

Hiko growled. "I don't see you in a better situation!"

"I'm fine. You should be glad that somebody likes you"

"I don't care. I just want to get my body back."

"Can you just play nice so they'll take us back with them?"

"What do you think I'm doing? I let him pick me up didn't I?"

"Momma!" Kenji whined as he hugged Kenshin to his chest tightly.

"You have to ask Aunt Misao. We're staying with her."

Kenji rushed to her and buried his face in the skirt of her kimono now that she was standing again. "Please, Aunt Misao! Please let me keep him!" His voice was muffled against the fabric and Kaoru and Misao couldn't help but laugh.

Misao reached down and tousled his hair. "I don't mind, Kenji, but don't you think you need to ask Mikio if he wants to bring his new friend home, too?"

Kenji pulled away from her and turned to his friend. "Do you wanna bring your kitty home, too?"

Mikio's face was calm but his mother knew he was ecstatic at the thought of bringing the animals back with them. He nodded to Kenji and looked up at his mother.

Kaoru walked over to Kenji and scooped him up into her arms, catand all. Kenji yawned as placed his head on her shoulder. "I think it's naptime."

"No, Momma," Kenji said sternly.

Instead of answering him Kaoru just started following Misao who was holding Hiko with one arm because Mikio couldn't carry the large cat and walk at the same time. He held onto his mother's hand but when his place slowed because he was tiring she put the animal back into his arms and pulled him into hers. Both boys were asleep in minutes.

The small group reached the Aoiya over half-an hour later. Kaoru and Misao put Kenji and Mikio upstairs to finish their nap and left the cats with them. Hiko lay between the two boys and Kenshin curled onto of his son's side protectively.

The two mother's went downstairs and found an unhappy Aoshi waiting for them. "Misao, why did you bring those animals back here?"

"Because they boys found them and wanted to keep them. They're really affectionate for cats."

"Get rid of them."

"But—"

"No, Misao. I am allergic to those animals and I will not suffer because of them."

"No. You get to explain to your son why his new pet his being taken away."

"Fine."

"And you're not waking them up to do it! You can wait until they finish their nap!" she snapped at him and hurried from the room with Kaoru right behind her.

Okina walked over to the ninja, having witnessed the entire event. "I can see it in your eyes, Aoshi. You can't understand why she is so upset with you."

"It's just a couple of cats."

"It's more than that. You're about to break her son's heart and as a mother she wants to stop that from happening at all costs."

"I can't allow him to keep the animal."

"He's only four years old. What's a little sneezing compared to your son's happiness?"

"I've made my decision."

Almost two hours later Kenji and Mikio made there way downstairs and into the kitchen. Their eyes were still heavy with sleep as they searched for someone to give them a snack. Kaoru and Misao were in the kitchen drinking tea with Okon and Omasu. Kenshin was again in Kenji's arms, purring softly. Hiko was trailing dutifully beside Mikio and when the boys stopped moving, he placed himself in front of the Mikio's feet.

Mikio rubbed his eye with the back of his hand and Misao went over to him.

"Did you have a good nap?" He nodded.

"Aunt Misao, I'm hungry," Kenji said as he tugged on her sleeve.

Misao laughed and tousled the sleepy boy's hair. "Why don't you and Mikio go see what Aunt Omasu made for you."

The boys trudged across the room where Omasu was waiting for them. "I made a special treat for you today!" She had a platter in her hand and bent down to their level before removing the cloth.

"OHAGI!" both boys shrieked in delight.

"Yes, now come sit over here," she said before leading them to a small table away from the adults.

Kenji ran to his mother and dumped the cat into her lap without a word before scurrying back across the room. Kaoru smiled as Kenshin curled into a ball on his wife's lap and purred loudly as she lavished her attentions on him.

Hiko remained with the two boys who were enjoying their sweet snack. He lay on the floor beneath the table and settled down to wait for something to happen.

To say that Hiko and Kenshin were nervous would be an understatement. They were both dreading when their bodies would be showing up with none to pleasant personalities controlling them. They weren't speaking to each other because they didn't want the others to think they were anything but normal cats and normal cats don't make as much noise as they did earlier.

The next instant Kenshin's head snapped up and he glared towards the door where he could feel Aoshi's ki coming from, but for some reason he wasn't happy to see the ninja.

Aoshi entered the room and walked over to where the two boys were still eating. Mikio jumped up and gave his father a sticky hug. Aoshi looked down at his son before speaking to him. "Mikio, the cats that you brought home are going to have to leave."

"Why?"

"Because I am allergic to them."

"What's al-er-jic?" Mikio asked, straining to say the syllables.

"Allergic means that if I spend too much time around the cats they will make me sick."

"Cats make you sick?"

"No, just their fur. It's time for them to leave. Where is the black one?" Mikio pointed under the table and Aoshi reached underneath and grabbed Hiko who had a most unpleasant look on his furry face.

Kenji had watched this passively thinking that only Mikio's cat would be taken away, but when Aoshi picked Kenshin up an walked out of the room Kenji jumped up and ran after him screaming.

Kaoru and the others were in shock as they followed his mother to get the boy. They found him standing outside with the red cat in his arms fighting off Aoshi. It was apparent that Aoshi's patience was waning and Kaoru bent down and pulled Kenji into her arms.

Aoshi reached to take the animal out of the boys arms but he snapped his teeth in an attempt to bite the large man. Kenshin was growling at his friend and Aoshi took a step back dumbfounded.

Kaoru's voice was soft as she tried to comfort her son. "Kenji, the kitty can't stay here. You don't want Uncle Aoshi to get sick do you?"

"MINE!"

"Kenji, it'll be okay. We can get you another cat when we go home. Would you like that?"

"NO! MINE!"

Aoshi tried to take the cat out of Kenji's arms and this time Kenji succeeded in latching his teeth into the ninja's hand.

"Kenji, you've never thrown a tantrum like this and I know that your father won't be happy when he finds out you've misbehaved," his mother scolded after getting him to release Aoshi.

Kenji tightened his grip on the cat and struggled enough to get Kaoru to put him down. He took a few steps away from her and looked Aoshi dead in the eyes. Aoshi noted the change in color and knew to tread carefully. Kenji was still shouting in hopes that loudness would get the adults to listen to him. "MY DADDY!"

They all stared down at him with shock on their faces. Kenshin whipped his head up to look at the determination on his son's face as he spoke to Hiko. "Do you think he knows?"

"It seems that he does."

"But how can he?"

"I'm not sure. He's a smart kid, but how he can recognize you—" Hiko jumped behind Kenji and looked down the street. "Shit!"

"What are you shouting for, Kenji? I'm right here," a voice called from behind them.

Kaoru turned around and let out a sigh of relief thinking that Kenshin's presence would solve the problem. "Kenshin, I'm so glad you're here. And Mister Hiko, too. It's good to see you again." She turned back to her husband. "Kenshin, deal with your son."

Battosai took a few steps towards Kenji who glared up at him with hatred in his eyes. "Not Daddy," he said fiercely.

DILEMMA: I need a name for Hiko's Battosai personality. Open to any and all suggestions becuase I have no idea.

Sorry if some of the characters are a little OOC. Please review for this chapter to keep the story going. Again, all suggestions are wonderful!