From: Jade One Hi there, I'm a terrible planner of fics, so naturally enough a new scene popped into my head while I was writing chpt 4 for this and naturally enough the scene just had to go in chpt 2. It absolutely could not be squeezed into 3, at least not anyway I could see and it wasn't long enough to be made an aside so you have my apologies for sending two copies in such rapid succession. Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin (C) characters belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro (All Hail), Shueisha, Sony Entertainment and perhaps some others but most definitely not to me. Mokona belongs to CLAMP and any others I don't know about. I am borrowing characters without asking permission and I am not making any money out of this. Also I am not worth suing as I am a broke student. However this story and any characters I create do belong to me. I hope anyone who takes the time to read this will enjoy it. <> Thought ** Emphasis %% Speech in Kousaten's native tongue Rurouni Knight Hazard - Arrival (2) Chapter 2 By Jade One The wind screamed, blowing sand everywhere. But it was not just blowing sand in the one direction, it was blowing in all directions at once, so that any misfortunates who might happen to be caught in the sand storm would be having their feet pushed in one direction and their hips in another, while the wind on their faces continually shifted so that it was coming directly at them. What was peculiar about this storm, but not immediately obvious was that it was not moving. It was centred on the same spot and it had been for the last several weeks. Those hardy souls who lived in this desert had abandoned this area and had come to call the place "Yableka Youran - Storm Guard." The names significance only became clear if you knew what lay at the centre. But over the howling of the sand there was coming another sound, not quite regular but with a peculiar rhythm of its own. Something, or more likely several some things were moving about in the storm. And to a trained ear they did not seem to be offering each other comfort and shelter from the storms ravages. "Shineeee!" The call could be dimly heard being repeated and yelled by several voices over the noise of the storm. There was no answering cry but those peculiar noises Fujita Goro's day was not going well. He'd been doing admittedly boring paperwork when he'd been interrupted by that itachi musumi and a silent Shinomori Aoshi and all but dragged away to that studentless dojo the Battousai had made his home. Unless he chose to go, seeing the Battousai was not something which put him in a good mood. On top of that there was another man there, one whom every one but he seemed to know and one the Battousai called Shishou - Hiko Seijuro. He had heard the name. After Shishio he'd been playing dead but the police reports, especially those concerning the Aoiya had been forwarded to him and the name had come up several times as a miscellaneous person who was frequenting the place and who was familiar with the occupants. He'd never paid much attention to those reports since the information on the man was sketchy at best. But then the man had dared to imply that he couldn't beat him or the Battousai, "To show you exactly why Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu is the one technique you can't beat," had been his words and then the word had turned upside down and he was standing in the middle of a sand storm, looking down at a vast glassy black mirror which seemed to hang in space, its surface disturbed by red lightnings which traveled over it. And standing before the mirror or whatever it was, was a pedestal with an open book the pages of which were blowing back and forth in the wind. It was completely insane. Things like this did not happen to him, they happened to that idiotic rurouni who had taken the Battousai's place. The storm and that weird black thing were bad enough but then he was surrounded by lots of ugly creatures all rushing him and screaming for his death. Finally though, they were something he could deal with. They looked like overgrown insects but instead of capaces they had not exoskeleton but scales. As he cut through a couple he considered it. They weren't very good. Insect shape, snake form he decided. And insect like there seemed no end to them. Saitou was not such a prideful man that he would let it kill him but as he looked around for an exit, some way for him to with draw from this pointless combat, all he saw were weirder and weirder creatures. A snake like creature with rabbit ears lunged at him, fangs bared. He split it down the middle. A fox with wings got caught on the up stroke. Things just got weirder. He was going to have to cut a path through them out into the storm and take his chances there. A small white creature bounced at him, squealing in a high pitched voice. "Puuu!" He thrust his katana forward but the rabbit like creature bounced off in a different direction repeating its call. "Pu, pu!" The bounced among the throng advancing towards him, seemingly unaware of the size difference between itself and them and it seemed to be calling him, wanting him to follow it out into the storm. It frowned at him, what passed for a rabbits brow creasing around a red jewel set in its forehead. It's tone became scolding. "Pu, pu, pu!" That was it. That was absolutely the last straw. He *was* going to kill that bouncing fluff ball of a rabbit even if he missed the opportunity to kill some of the other aku things which were closing in on him. Nothing, nothing which looked like a white tofu rabbit treated him like that and got away with it. Saitou strode through the approaching hoard, cutting a path to the bouncing retreating form moving out into the storm. It was not going to get away from him. *** The figure, it could have been a man but it was hard to tell, swathed as they were in rodes and cloth to provide protection from the wind blown sand, climbed the rise and stopped at the apex, clothes billowing around them as they looked into the desert. They watched their servants trail out through the sand in pursuit of the dark figure who had appeared. They would either catch them or not in the storm. It didn't really matter, those who pursued were far out numbered by those who remained and they would soon be back. Guarding the gate was their main responsibility, not pursuing intruders. The storm would take care of any who got away. The figure watched the man disappear into the blowing sand with glittering eyes. It hadn't missed the trail of bodies left behind it. He looked down, almost at the ground. "So that's the Wolf?" The voice was breathy. %Yes, that is the Wolf.% This voice was not breathy and carried the overtones of exhaltation. %As I told you, "The Wolf shall do his bidding."% "He's a long way from home." %Yes, a very long way.% The voice was full of dark speculation. "Do you think we should?" The figure questioned. %YES!% The exhaltation seemed to grow. %I'll do it though. Who'd notice if the storm got larger?% It laughed with a sickening glee. The wind abated for an instant, allowing the cloth to fall and hand from the figure, revealling the fact that it was not a man. Not unless it was one deformed by a lump on his back. And then the wind was back, it's strength redoubled. %And that will be the end of the Wolf.% "You are a very useful book. They did not deserve you," the figure said, turning and walking back to the glassy disturbance which was the centre of the storm. %I know.% *** "Euwww! What is that stench?!" Megumi exclaimed as she stood up, fervently hoping that she hadn't got any of what was smelling on her clothes. She looked down, trying to see if there was somewhere she could place her geta. "Will you be quiet megitsune? You make enough noise to wake the dead!" Megumi's head snapped up, looking around. There were only a few people who dared call her 'megitsune.' "Tori atama? Were are you?" She questioned, identifying the voice. "I'm up here!" came the response. She squinted up. "What are you doing up there. Come down here at once." He was grinning down at her from the roof of one of the buildings which surrounded them. Her earlier inspection had shown that they were standing in a cul de sac. One that smelled suspiciously like it was in the bad part of Tokyo. Sanosuke, while he was not the gentleman Ken-san was, would at least provide her with some protection, if he would just come down here! "Maa, maa, megitsune. I'm coming, I'm coming." He responded shifting slightly before he jumped down to land heavily beside her - in the middle of a dark sticky puddle. It splattered all over her kimono making the stench a hundred times worse. "Eek! Tori atama, you are a dead man!" She screamed, seeing his grin at her dishelved state. She would have continued berating him but a semi joyful call interrupted them both. "You're going to regret this!..." "Itachi musume!" "Misao-chan!" The two of them turned and ran towards exit of the cul de sac, into the middle of a rough street fight. Megumi wisely flinched back into the cover provided by the alley but she did have a good view. Sano ran forward, ploughing through several men as he made his way to Misao-chan. "Itachi musume, daijoubu ka?" Misao grinned as she recognised the voice. "Hai, hai. I'm fine tori-atama! These guys are incredibly stupid! It's almost too easy." "Those are the best fights," Sano agreed, turning toward the on coming attackers. "You want the left or right?" He asked conversationally. "Right." "Yosha! Ikuzo!" Misao squealed, diving forward her hands flickering sending silver arcs flying out in neat precise lines. Only a few attackers got through the barrage and they were quickly felled in hand to hand combat. Sano used a more direct method. He drove forward punching and kicking indiscriminately at his enemies. Their unconscious forms formed neat banks defining his path. After he'd finished he turned back to Misao with a questioning look. "While this is fun, Itachi-musume, would you like to tell me why they are after you?" Anger flashed across her face, her eyes flashing red. "Well, they made advances to me. Mou! Himura-san would understand!" She nearly screamed. "They don't even have that much money!" Megumi came around the corner. "Calm down, Misao-chan." "Oh I am calm, Megumi-san. They provided great stress relief," Misao looked strangely happy. "On a different note though, do you know where we are?" She questioned, gesturing to the buildings around her. Megumi and Sano looked around. The surrounds were not those of either Kyoto or Tokyo. The buildings were simply different. Spires rose all around them, topped with bulb like roofs. They were of many colors, but were predominantly of earth colored tones. Eventually, they all turned to one central building which rose above the others. Even with the alien architecture it was obviously palace. It's spires were white, topped with golden roofing. In places green trailed down over some of the white walls indicating the presence of lush gardens. It was a beautiful picture against the blue sky but it was also something none of them had ever seen before. "Well, I guess Hiko-san was telling the truth. This is Kousaten," Misao said in a hushed tone. Her face took on a disgusted look. "Euwww, Megumi-san, what is that stench?" "Tori-atama!" "Eep." "You're a dead man!" "It's not my fault." "Ano. I don't think this is the time," Misao interupted again, gesturing down the road to where several men in dark cloths had gathered. Although the exact cut of the uniform was unfamiliar, it was obvious that they were some sort of law enforcement. %"You're under arrest for disturbing the peace!"% they yelled as they ran forward towards the trio. "Ano! What did they say?" Sano looked confused. "What makes you think I'd know?" Misao screamed back at him. Beating up street rabble was one thing but beating up what passed for the police was something else. "They said we're under arrest," Megumi said exasperated. "Baka! It's too late to run now," she noted conversationally as they surrounded them. %"You are under arrest for disturbing the peace of Kousaten," their leader repeated, as his men moved around them. "It would be better for you if you come quietly. You're out numbered."% The last was added rather tentatively as the officer glanced around. "Officer, I don't understand what you mean. It wasn't us who disturbed the peace. It was these hooligans who made improper advances towards our young friend," Megumi began, gesturing towards Misao. Sano and Misao looked on, their faces full of confusion. %"They will be taken into custody as well. But you should accompany us now."% Megumi looked to her companions. "We doing anything which can't be interrupted?" They shook their heads. "You understand him, megitsune?" "Of course, you mean you can't?" She flicked her hair over her shoulder, her face assuming a superior expression. "Then perhaps you shouldn't wander about this world without me then?" She turned her attention back to the officer. "Of course we will accompany you Officer. This mess can be cleaned up more quickly that way but I think you will find that we are not in the wrong." Megumi stepped in the direction indicated by the officer with Misao and Sano trailing behind her. It was true that they shouldn't really wander around a world they didn't understand and for the moment, the police seemed to be civil enough. It wasn't as if either of them couldn't leave when they wanted to. Besides which the rest of their party would hardly be inconspicuous and would themselves probably been seen by the police at some stage. *** He was falling. Aoshi instinctively twisted, turning himself in the air so that he would land upright. It wasn't that high so he landed with a quiet tap on the polished wooden floor. He held his kodachi, sheathed but at the ready although something told him that he would not be needing them. He looked around with narrowed eyes, the surroundings were not what he expected. The thought leap irreverently to mind. He may have worked for an evil man but he had still been a scholar of formidable reputation and his managerial skills had been second to none. He shook his head, bemused. These were not appropriate thoughts for the situation. The room was lined with books. That's what had prompted the Hoji thought. Sun light streamed in from the high windows. He looked around, this wasn't someone's private room but more like a public library. The shelves were high, constricting his view. He listened carefully but there was no noise coming from other places in the room. If someone else was here, they were being very quiet and they were keeping their ki quiet. Not a skill one expected from scholars. It looked as if Hiko-san had been telling the truth, this didn't look or *feel* like anything in Japan He couldn't feel her. She had been just beside him at the dojo but he couldn't even the slightest trace of her presence. He hadn't expected this. Separation was not something Hiko-san had warned them about. He would have mentioned something like that surely. The knowledge suddenly came to him. He didn't know how he knew it but he did. It calmed him somewhat. For the moment there was nothing to worry about, he was safe here, where ever exactly here was. And somehow, the same way he knew Misao was safe, he knew that the books could be useful. It was annoying but as a ninja he had learned to follow his instincts. He moved his kodachi to a more comfortable position and looked at the books. Some of the names and writing were alien to him but some he could read. "Kousaten: The King and the Council." That could be useful. Aoshi reached out and pulled the book out, tucking it under his arm before continuing to look upon the shelf. If the shelves were stacked logically there should be some other similar books around this one. But nothing else seemed to be in a language he could read. Aoshi flicked the book open. An illumination decorated the left page and writing in a neat but archaic form was laid out on the right but it was the picture which caught his eye. It was supposedly of the King and by the white mantle the figure was drawn with, it could well be, but overlaying the figure there was a stylized dragon. It's mouth was open, fangs barred and it's claws were extended. He looked back at the words. It was an introductory paragraph, he could tell that immediately... The King is the ultimate Ruler of Kousaten but in his absence the rulership of Kousaten is left in the hands of the Council of Priests. The Council is, as all know, fully mortal but they rule in the name of the immortal dragon. The King is the representative of the dragon, their human form is that they use to converse with the mortals of Kousaten but like the land the Dragon is immortal, the King is immortal.... Aoshi snapped the book closed. It didn't make any sense. He walked further down the shelves looking for another book he could read, hopefully one that would make slightly more sense. Another title leap out at him. The title was extended on the cover. <"The Three Kings of Kousaten: A Brief Examination of Their Powers and the Reasons Behind Their Presence."> He opened this one with a small sigh. 'Their Powers.' This didn't sound promising but so far it was only the second book that he's seen that he could read. He looked at the book. It was well indexed although there were several things which did not make sense. Prologue 1. The First King 2. A Land Between Kings 3. The Malforms 4. Calling the Second King 5. The Second King 6. A Land After the King 7. The Threat From Within 8. The Third King 9. The Books Are Closed 10. Powers of the Kings 11. The Kings' Promise 12. Conclusions But apart from that the book seemed ideal to his purposes. If he was understanding it correctly it was describing the events in this land that had lead to the calling of the kings, and if the chapters about the Kings were accurate then what each user of the Battousai's technique had done to calm the land. This could prove to be a valuable book. Aoshi flicked through the pages. It contained some basic sketches but had no illuminations like the one the previous book had contained but the writing was neat and well formed. He wouldn't have to struggle against bad penmanship. He was drawn, without conscious thought to the tenth chapter. <"The Powers of the Kings." What did others think of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu? How do they view that technique?> 10. The Powers of the Kings The Kings of Kousaten have all been extraordinarily gifted people. Their have all been supreme specimens of their species and their sword technique is described by onlookers and themselves as the best. While this boosting may seem inappropriate for the King, they have all exhibited this arrogance and have not been proven wrong. They have all been extremely intelligent rulers who have ruled fairly, although the wisdom of some of their decisions has been slow to come to light. Each ruler has completely overturned the society which they entered and while the changes have been beneficial to most, there has been some factions who had expressed distaste with the changes wrought. However, for the most part during the Kings presence they had kept their complaints private. This has been both unfortunate and beneficial. It is unfortunate because should they express their disappointment in the Kings presence, it is quite likely that the King would have used their power as the dragon to subdue them. It has proved beneficial because the Kings have usually stayed in Kousaten long enough for their changes to society to be accepted, so even once the complaints are heard, the new law is firmly established. Aoshi nodded. So far the chapter seemed to be normal. The Hiko-san's of the past, if they were like the present one certainly fit the description which was displayed here. He flicked forward through the pages. As mentioned before, all the Kings have a power beyond that of the native inhabitants of Kousaten. Some sects advocate that all life forms are ranked but their rankings have been shown to be highly suspect since the inventors species has almost universally been placed in the highest rankings. In the case of the Kings, however, such ranking is not entirely irrelevant. While it is irrelevant to try to rank other species, it is true that the King is being above others. The Priests of Kousaten have described the King as being the ultimate being. They are for this world, Kami-sama. Several Priests who accompanied the Second King in his final battle against the Malforms have reported that the human the King appeared to be is simply a shell, a substitute for the true ruler of the land, the one who truly rules the land itself. More than that they could not say. Aoshi closed the book. If there was more than one sentient species on Kousaten then none of them should rank above others. That is what Hiko-san would believe. He would not consider himself higher. Arrogant he was, but fair. That is what he had learnt about Hiko in the times that he had seen him. He slipped the book in his pocket. Although he didn't like the concept of taking material from libraries he was making an exception for Kousaten. He narrowed his eyes. That feeling was back again. The sunlight which was coming in the window was growing noticeably yellower. The rays of light becoming longer as the sun descended in the sky. Aoshi continued walking through the library. There was something in the far end that he had to see. He came to the end of the shelves and looked down to the far end of the room. While there were many high windows letting in light, one was placed perfectly. What he needed to see was standing in the centre of the light. A book stood on a pedestal. It was closed but in some way it was calling to him. He knew it would tell him the truth. Despite the call, he instinctively stayed in what shadows there were, continually looking around himself. He couldn't feel anyone and he hadn't since he arrived but his training and experience had shown him that things could change very quickly. He didn't want any surprises. The title leapt out at him. "Kousaten." But it was not that which captured his full attention. The other writing on its cover "Hiko Seijuro" was the last thing he was expecting but it seemed some how correct. There was nothing stopping him from opening the book but as he reached out a flicker passed through the air. He opened the book. The personal history of Hiko Seijuro would be truthful. Narrowed eyes looked to the door. There had been something there. It seemed to be right on schedule. He was approaching the sensitive part of a mission. There were lots of people approaching. But some of the seemed familiar. He ran back on silent feet to the cover of the shelves. Just in time. The far doors swung open. To Be Continued. Yableka Youran - Words I made up. Shine - Die Megitsune - Fox Lady Tori atama - Chicken/Bird Head Geta - wooden sandles. Itachi musume - weasel girl Daijoubu ka - Are you alright? Yosha - Alright! Ikuzo - Let's go Ano - general word, sort of like um. Mou - female darn Kami-sama - God Nani - What Kousaten - Junction, Nexus At least the bad guy is now introduced a bit sooner. Wait until you see his name ^__^ Jade One __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Valentine's Day Shopping Made Simple. Click Here! Click Here ------------------------------------------------------------------------