It was the end of the day, and the students were already presenting strange behavior, and acting very "off". Dressed in the normal uniform for the males, Kenshin had everything in order. A well fitted pressed top along with spectacular slacks. He had opened his locker and starting stuffing some of his items inside his bag, and pulled his bag out of the locker. Someone had passed by him, and tugged down on his braid, in his brown hair. He quickly turned to try to apprehend this said person but they had already gotten away, and a small sigh escaped his lips. He slammed his locker close fed up with just about everything and he heard another open up behind him. He raised an eyebrow and spun around to see who it was, and not to far down was, Suzu Yasuhiro. She was in his class, and he knew her from out of school, being childhood friends. Kenshin relaxed and walked down a short while over to her. "Hey there, Suzu. You, alright?" He asked seeing a bit of anxiety in her face. The events today overwhelming her.

"Hmm?" Suzu looked over to Kenshin with a sigh, "Oh I'm all right, just a bit on edge about the announcements and everything!" She said as she pulled her shoes out of the locker and slipped them on. "Emi hasn't stopped ranting on about the birds and crap and frankly it's gettin' on my nerves." Suzu slammed the locker shut, "how're you doing? You don't seem too upset about all the ruckus that's going on in the school..."

"No, because there is no sense to get all hyped up." He put his back against the lockers, slouching a bit. "Suzu, Emi is right to rant, its not just the birds acting odd. Rin was very upset last night, about Patriot being all depressed. Whatever is going on, it will be massive." He had shut his eyes, trying to clear the sisnter thoughts that overloaded his mind. "In any case, we don't need to start riots and such over something the staff wants us to do, it's childish."

Suzu huffed and slung her bag on her shoulder, "Well it may just be a big wind storm or something! Animals react to those sorta things...right? But you're right, no need to get all pre-crazy about what ever is going on! I gotta cook tonight, do you and Rin want to come over? Emi has been asking about her coming over."

His eyes cracked back open and looked at Suzu. "Well, is she going to spend the night, or just for the day? And I can drop her off but I can't stay, my Father wants me too, train with him later, and you have seen my Father a few times. So you know never to get on his bad side." Kenshin chuckles under his breath and gets off the lockers. "Anyway we should be getting home, before some Uniform comes and chews our asses out for not going home." He saw she was all done packing and smiled a bit. "You got everything? Not forgeting anything are you?"

Suzu shruged, " Rin doesn't make much of a problem. Plus she'll keep Emi outta my hair...and no offence your Dad is kinda strict, or at least that's the vibe he gives off!" Suzu thought for a moment and pulled a pack of candy out of her bag and handed it to Kenshin, "Here, I didn't leave anything but I forgot to give it to you earlier...Emi saw it and thought you'd like it. Now lets get going." She said as she started to head out of the school gates.

"Alright sure, Rin will be thrilled. And I have to tell Emi thank you." He gave Suzu a big wide grin with a thumbs up. "Sweet tarts are my favorite." He put the pack of candy in his bag and started walking to the front exits of the school. They came out onto the front courtyard. It was decorated beautifully, every single detail had been gone over with a fine tooth comb. From the grass, to the statue of the school's Founder, Mr. Tawashi. Kenshin hopped down the few steps that led to the ground and looked around, believing he was deep in thought. "This, isn't real...I'm not sure what to believe anymore though.."

"What isn't real? You're not doing hippy dippy stuff are you, Kenshin?" Suzu asked as she walked long side Kenshin, "Because that's not setting a good example for your sister like a good big brother should!"

"Huh? O-oh its nothing, Suzu." He put his hand behind his head, laughing a bit sheepishly, not aware that he was talking out loud but thought that he was thinking. It seemed as though this whole ordeal had bothered Kenshin more than he showed.

She grinned a bit, "Well if you say so! But if you're hiding something from me I'll put your sister up to something!" Suzu turn around and started to walk backwards, "Do you think the school is over reacting about whatever may or may not be going on?"

"Over reacting? Yes, very much so. Wrong? Not at all." He slung his backpack over his shoulder, carrying it by the strap with two figners. His posture was of the highest calling. It's all he was ever taught, and lives it to the fullest. "Whatever is going on, it sure won't be a 'walk in the park."

Suzu sighed and turned around the right away again and began talking with a sarcastic tone, "Because obviously something huge is gonna happen, other then the school treating us like first graders. Maybe they're going to put in a stripper pole and have all the girls practice on it! Or, maybe it will be like those video games and birds will start falling from the sky!"

A sly smirk, spread its way across Kenshin's face. "Be careful, Suzu. You might end up jinxing the entire world." As they are walking back, they come into a cluster of homes and apartments in a huge complex. Their homes looking average, nothing special about them on the outside, but on the inside it was decorated to their families' liking. Their houses weren't two far apart, just down the street from each other, Suzu's being the first. "Hmm? Well, Suzu looks like this is your stop."

She walked up and reached into the mailbox and pulled out some envelopes, "Yep, so you're gonna come by later? Are you sure, absolutly sure, you can't come for dinner too? I'm making something really spicy! I mean I hope I don't poison everybody but it's still food. Your dad can come over too if he wants too. My Uncle has been wanting to meet him." Suzu said leaning up against the side of the stairwell, a cute smile on her face.

Kenshin stands there, but not for what most people would have thought. He might have seemed like he was thinking, but he was actually watching someone, trying his hardest to make it discrete. He had heard what Suzu said and he shook his head, getting the cobwebs out. "Sure, Suzu. I'll try my best, but you know my Father. He will not take no for an answer. Tell you what, i'll rush home, get our session over with, so we can come by and he won't be angry. So i'll see you in a while!" He waves to her, and takes off down the street at full speed, maybe more because he was afraid of the person that was watching them.

Suzu waved back and yelled "Be quick about it, Kenshin!" with a grin. Readjusting her bag over shoulder she headed up the stairs to her house where she opened the door and threw her bag down on the floor and jumped face first onto the couch, tired from all the commotion and nonsense at school.

Emi leaned over the back end of the couch, "What's for dinner?" she asked. Suzu didn't even begin to move to look at her sister, "Kenshin and Rin might come over. It's spicy. Go do your homework or something." She rolled over and off the side of the couch with a loud thud getting up and lugging herself to the kitchen to prepare the food. "The birds are at it again." Emi said as she followed her sister into the kitchen. Suzu slammed the bag of rice she had in her hands down onto the counter, "Emi! For god's sake! Shut up about it all! I had a bad day at school and I don't want to have to deal with your crap! Pick up a normal hobby like pressing flowers or something! Leave me be and do your homework or something!" Emi stared at her sister, she looked furiated. She had never gotten this angry with her before, Emi nodded and slunk back to her room silently. Suzu sighed and noticed the plastic bag with the rice had ripped, quietly she picked up what had fallen and threw it out, continuing with the cooking.

As he was rushing, to his home, Kenshin's eyes were everywhere, scanning the whole area, for that same person that had been stalking him and Suzu relentlessly. Soon enough, he had come up to the main walkway that led up to his home. He had came to a complete halt and gave a quick, but thorough look around the area, for one last time. A sigh had escaped from his lips and he shrugged his shoulders, walking up to his home. Upon reaching it, he had entered inside and walked in the door slamming behind him. He had cringed not meaning for it to slam like that, because he knew that he would get in a ton of trouble with his Mother. Thankfully no one had said anything, apparently everyone was out of the house. He had kicked off his shoes, as he always did when entering someone's home, and he dropped his bag by the door. He had walked into the adjacent room and blinked finding his Father there. Hiroshi Ichigo, was a man of great stature. His face hardened and the overall vibe coming from him was nerve wracking. It was as though a chill would engulf any room that he had walked into. Kenshin slowly approached his Father, and got down on his knees, bowing slighty before him. "Good afternoon, Father."

"Same to you, Son." Hiroshi's voice was deep and menacing, almost as if he didn't have a ounce of emotion in him. His cold eyes stared down at his offspring while Kenshin straighten back upright, still on his knees as well as his Father. Kenshin cleared his throat, it being parched somewhat. "Father, I know we were supposed to have a training session today, but s..." Hiroshi's hand and went up slightly, cutting off Kenshin in mid-sentence. Kenshin blinked and looked at his Father. "There has been a change in plans, Kenshin. I'm going to take Rin out to some convention in town, that she has been nagging me about. We can have that session another day." Kenshin, laughed nevrously and rubbed his head a bit. He knew better than to challenge his Father's word, but it was for a good cause. "Uh...about that..." His Father raised and eyebrow at him, the unchanging paralyzing experision on his face not disappearing. This made Kenshin even more nervous and he continued studdering a bit. "W-well...You remember the Yasuhiro's, right? My childhood friend Suzu invited us over for dinner, and wanted to know if RIn could spend the night with Emi over there..." Kenshin waited for his Father's voice to grow with angry, but it never did. Hiroshi just looked at his Son and had gotten to his feet slowly. "Is that so? I don't see why not. Rin is always talking about her that Emi child. The only problem is your Mother won't be able to make it. She is out of town currently." Kenshin stood up in a bolt, smiling wide at his Father. "Aw, thanks! You're the best, Dad!" Hiroshi chuckled slightly and nodded. "Yes, yes. Now you go on over there and share with your girlfriend the good news. I'll bring Rin over shortly." Hiroshi had turned around and went into another room leaving Kenshin there, his eye twitching a bit. "She's not my girlfriend..I already have one." He had shook it off, smiling at his Father's choice in words, and headed back out of the front door. He had left from his home and was on his way, back to Suzu's.

Awhile later, nearly done with dinner, Suzu cleaned up the kitchen and put the plates out with a sigh. She hadn't meant to blow up at Emi, she had just had a hectic day is all. When all the plates were layed out she went into her room to get changed out of her school clothes, on her way back she stopped and knocked on Emi's door taking a breath in. "Emi? I'm sorry I got mad at you. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry. I know your birds mean a lot to you...I truly am sorry, Emi." Suzu had begun to walk away when Emi's door opened and the little girl grabbed Suzu into a hug from behind her. "It's okay, Suzu. I still love you." Emi let go and smiled a bit. "When is Rin supposed to get here?" She asked the smile still on her face. "I'll let you know when they get here. Go clean up your room!" As soon as Suzu said that Emi went off to go straighten up and let Suzu finish what she had to to. As soon as the food was done and everything was in place the doorbell rang and Suzu went to open the door.

Kenshin was outside of the door waiting patiently and had his hands cupped together behind his back. When the door was finally answered, he smiled down at the much shorter Suzu and waved. "Hey, Suzu. My Father is bringing Rin over and my Mother is out of town, so she can't make it sadly."

Suzu gave a halfheartedly smiled back, "Oh darn...I wanted to meet her. Oh well! Emi is in her room, and well I guess we'll wait until your dad gets here!" Suzu closed the door after Kenshin and went over to the couch and turned on the tv. "Is your dad okay with spicy stuff?"

Kenshin had sat down on the couched and closed his eyes, able to relax for a bit before his cold, strict Father arrived with his hyper active kid Sister. Who was more of a handful with her friend, Emi. He chuckled slighty and nodded. "Spicy, sweet, bitter, sour he can handle it all. He had a stomach of steel. Sometimes I wonder wonder where I get my enormous appiete from, guess I know now."

"Well that's good! I was hopeing your parents would be okay with it." Suzu laughed a bit, "Does Rin eat alot?...I hope I made enough." Suzu thought for a minute, "Oh! And my Uncle might come while we're eating, your dad and him will be able to meet hopefully!" Suzu smiled and grabbed the controller flicking through the channels until she got to a show about zombies and put the remote back down on the coffee table.

"Rin?" Kenshin grins a bit at the thought of how much she ate. "Suzu, have you even really taken a good look at her? She's a twig, we can hardly get her to eat, but I have a feeling she will today. My Father is a very...persuasive person, if you catch my drift. You should see him, when the citizens of Japan see him around. Bunch of drooling idiots.

He had noticed she landed on a channel about the undead and he sat upright, and leaned forward a bit, enticed by the program.

Suzu huffed and got off the couch,"Well somepeople eat quite a bit and are still lanky! I just hope they like it. I'm not the best cook, I barely made this with out burning down the kitchen."

There was a soft knock at the door, barely audible and Kenshin groaned. "Great.."

"Don't be mean to your Dad." Suzu went over and opened up the door greeting Rin and her Father and directing then to the table, closing the door after them, taking Rin's overnight things and putting them aside. "Kenshin, can you go get my sister please?" Suzu called from the kitchen area.

"Yeah, sure thing." Kenshin had gotten up off the couch a bit lazily, having gotten comfortable and he walked over to a door and knocked on it. He had been here once before. It wasn't to hard to remember which room belong to the family member. "Emi, its Kenshin. Rin, and my Father are here and we are waiting on you, sweetheart."

Emi opened the door and smiled at Kenshin, "Is Rin sleeping over?" And before she could get an answer Emi went off to sit at the table next to Rin. As soon as everybody was sitting down Suzu brought out the food and placed it in the middle of the table and sat down herself, "I hope you're okay with curry, Sir. It's a bit spicy, but Kenshin said you're okay with spicy foods. So I hope you and Rin enjoy it!"

Hiroshi and looked at her and nodded once. "Spicy is just fine young lady, thank you. It's nice to see you again, Suzu. You and my Son have been friend's for quite some time now. And now, Rin and your sister the best of friends." He chuckles under his breath and Rin grins from ear to ear. "YEAH! Me and Emi are bestest friends! We will take over the world!" She had banged on the table and Hiroshi's gaze went over to her and he barked at her. "Rin, calm yourself right this instant!" His face was so frightening it made Kenshin gulp a bit. He looked at Emi and smiled some. "Emi, I hope my Father isn't scaring you, he is just a bit...too uptight about manners and rules. He means no harm."

Emi blinked and nodded a bit, remaining quiet looked at Rin then back at her plate. Suzu grinned nervously, "Well it's nice to see you again too Sir, I'm quite happy that they're friends an all, they are still pretty young so they can be rambuntious together and get all that excess energy out! Uh, I'll go get some water for everybody! Emi, why don't you help me." Suzu and Emi got up and left for the kitchen to quickly grab some drinks for everybody.

"Daddy, pleassssssseeee don't be mean to Emi, kay? I'll love you forever!" Hiroshi just rolled his eyes, and served himself. As he was eating Kenshin looked at his Father, and then at Rin. He wanted to asked his Father if he felt that anything was going wrong in the world, but knew it would freak out Rin.

Emi and Suzu came back with the glasses of water, Suzu set down the ones for herself, Kenshin and his father while Emi set down one for Rin and one for her. The dinner continued on without much more yelling or banging of the table until they were all done. Emi had grabbed Rin and gone off to her room while the other two remained at the kitchen table, Suzu cleaning up in the kitchen.

Finally being alone, Kenshin looked at his Father and he let out a small sigh. "Father...today in school, the faculity were attempting to put us under a sort of...martial law. Going on about the rules of how to behave around strangers and such. Do you know what they are talking about..?" Hiroshi had took his last sip of water from his glass "You know better than to ask me something I cannot answer, boy." He turned his attention to the door which someone was messing with, and he was prepared for a fight. Hiroshi was always suspcious of anything going on around him, it's what has kept him alive for so long, while being a threat to many people. "Relax, Dad. It's probably just Suzu's Uncle coming back."

Suzu noticed the door knob moving and grabbed a towel to dry her hands, "Darn it Uncle. You should have your key..." With a sigh Suzu opened the door to see her Uncle standing there looking a mess, she ushered him in and grabbed his suitcase placing it next to the front door. She went back into the kitchen and got him a glass of water, making sure he drank it all. "Uncle you look like a mess...you must have had a rough day. Well Kenshin and his Father are here obviously...if you need anything I'll be straightening up." And before he could reply she went back to cleaning quietly. Suzu's Uncle sighed, "I'm sorry you had to see that...I had a pretty hectic day today. Nice to be home with the girls!" He drank about half the cup in one gulp then placing it down on the table.

Kenshin had chuckled a bit, looking at Mr. Yasuhiro, who looks as if he had gotten caught in a twister. "It's nice to see you again, Mr. Yasuhiro, I hope Suzu, and Emi haven't been giving you or the Mrs. any trouble." Hiroshi was looking at Suzu's uncle and had stood up, bowing to him in respect. "Thank you for allowing us into your home, Sir. Very glad to be here in this hospitality."

He chuckled at the sight. "Please do sit down, there is no need for such formalities! I'm glad you came over, Emi has been lookin' forward to having a friend over!"

Hiroshi had sat back down, and while they were getting to know each other Kenshin had walked over to Suzu, and whispered to her. "Once you are done, meet me outside, we need to talk." His face couldn't have been anymore serious and stern. He turned to Suzu's Uncle and his Father and cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to say, thank you for having us over. I hope Rin doesn't give you too much trouble, have a nice evening! Father, I am returning home now." His Father nodded, but decided to stay longer, and Kenshin looked at Suzu one final time, winking, letting her know he still wanted to talk. He head out their door, down the stairs and out of the buildings man doors.

Suzu blinked and dried off her hands and peaked into the dinning room, "Uh I'll be back in a minute Uncle! I'm going to take out the trash for tomorrow!" She shut the door and made her way quickyly down the stairs to find Kenshin anxiously awaiting her, "What's up? Why'd you want me to come out?

Kenshin was leaning agaisnt the sturdy railing, his eyes closed while he waited, patiently, for his friend to show up. She had shown up sooner than he thought and he looked out to the street. "We have a problem, Suzu. Remember when my Father said 'I knew better than to ask him a question he cannot answer'? He is saying that something is coming in the near future...we need to stay alert...If we don't i'm afrai..." He was cut off by a slightly groan that he had heard. "Suzu, do you hear that..?"

Suzu looked around the area a bit, she had heard some strange noise although she wasn't completely sure what it was. "Uh, yeah...I did hear something." She looked around again, getting anxious about being outside so late in the dark.

Out from around a nearby tree, a middled aged man had appeared. He looked as if something had drawn a cloud over head, for he was drenched in his own sweat and his clothes ripped and tattered. The man stumbled forward, doubling over in pain and he coughed up a bit of blood. "Oh my God!" Kenshin had ran towards the man in need and he crouched down, helping him try to stand up. "Sir, what happened to you!? I'm going to try and take you to the hospital okay?" The man had clutched Kenshin's school shirt and looked up at him. "T-They are coming..." The man seemed to be derilious and out of his wits. "CAN YOU NOT SEE IT, FOOLS!?"

Suzu walked up to the man and pushed him away from Kenshin, "Don't grab him! We don't know what happened to you and we're just going to try and help you! So don't go pulling any knifes or anything out on us and don't go spouting about all your crazy talk! You look drunk and you sound it too!" She sighed calming down a bit. Suzu was always a kind hearted girl, but she feared that the man was plotting to hurt her friend. "I'm sorry sir, please just tell us what happened so we can help you. Are you hurt?"

Kenshin looked at Suzu and frowned a bit. "Suzu, he is obviously not well...we shouldn't harm him." When the man had been shoved back on the ground and struggled up to his feet. Once he did that he pulled out a knife and was laughing menacingly. "You mean one like this, little girl?" He started waving the sharpened 8 inch knife. Kenshin got into his fighting stance and stared the man down. "Suzu, stand back this guy is dangerous and I don't want you to end up hurt." The man laughed out loud and a twisted, sick grin grew on his face. "The time for redemption is here!" He barrerls straight for Kenshin and Suzu.

Suzu moved back a bit listening to Kenshin "Oh for fuck's sake! The hell is with all these damn psychos? We only try to help you and you pull out a slicing knife on us?!" she huffed and looked around quicky for anything that could be of use, seeing nothing she grabbed the top of a trash bin and tossed it to Kenshin. "Here! Knock 'em out!"

Kenshin looked over to Suzu, who had thrown a trash can lid at him. He caught it and grined at her. "Good thinking, Suzu! Now to deal with this asshole..." He had turned his attention back to the crazed man, who was right in front of him, and had attempted to stab him. Keshin had held the lid in front of the man's path and the knife had gone through the lid. "Heh, gotcha." Then he twisted the lid so that the man had lost his grip on it and hit the man's face hard with the lid, knocking him back on his back. "Shit, what the fuck was his problem?" He headed over to the man and looks down at him his eyes widened a bit. "Suzu...this guy..something isn't right with him."

She scoffed, "well, obviously there is something loose in his head. she walked up behind Kenshin and looked down at the mad man. "...He does look kinda strange. Probably drunk, right?" She asked, looking to Kenshin for a nod or some sort of comfirmation.

"No, look at his face." Kenshin turned his head over and part of the man's neck and face, is turning a purpleish blue, shade. "I hit the guy, but a bruise doesn't form when you are dead. This guy is mutating..." He stands back up and gets the man's legs dragging him over to a secluded area and leaving him there. When he returned he caught a glismpe of Suzu's shocked and sickened face and pulled her into a hug, comforting her. "Whatever he was...this is probably what everyone in the city is worried about.

Suzu returned Kenshin's hug without saying a word, she was alarmed at the peices that were being put together. Before she could say anything to him, she heard a door close and she looked up to see her Uncle and Kenshin's father standing on the covered walkway looking at the two of them, her Uncle clearly had a smirk on his face. "Now now children, there is no need to be sneaking out to exchange saliva! Also you forgot the trash when you went to go take it out, Suzu!" Her uncle chuckled while Suzu pushed Kenshin away with a huff. "We weren't doing anything like that! Just talking!" she fumed at him from the bottom of the stairs, "Whatever you say Hun, just get upstairs. See you later Kenshin." Suzu sighed and said goodbye to Kenshin making her way up the stairwell and up next to her Uncle while Kenshin's Father walked down.

When Suzu shoved him out the way he laughed a bit, at her Uncle's remark, knowing he was just teasing. As they both said goodnight to him he bowed to them in respect, and grinned at his Father who, stood before him shaking his head. "You sure Suzu isn't the girl you like better?" Kenshin laughed softly and turned around walking back home with his Father, but then his mood did a complete 180 and his expression was dead serious. "Father, I don't know exactly is going on here, but I do know its something to fight for your life over. Suzu and I came face to face with death." He had pointed over there to the place where he dragged the lifeless body of the man who attacked him. "Over there you will find a dead man, I had to kill, if I didn't Suzu and I would be dead right now." Hiroshi had looked over there and sighed looking back forward. "I don't exactly know what is going on here Son, but I do know if we don't stop it now everyone we know and love are at risk." Kenshin looked down a bit, thinking of all the people he had come to know and love, picturing them dead. He couldn't stand that thought, and he tightened his fists. It was like a nightmare you couldn't awake from, so how can a nightmare be changed? It's simple, it cannot. All you can hope for is that is will end.