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DARK DESIGNS

A Ruroni Kenshin

Fanfic Crossover

by

Jedi Brother Horace

(WARNING: This chapter contains many spoilers for the end of the Ruroni
Kenshin manga. So don't read on if don't want to know what happened.)

Disclamer: Ruroni Kenshin is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki and Shueisha. Don't
sue me cause you won't get a penny. As for what the other series is. Tough
luck, I'm not telling anybody yet.

CHAPTER 2: An Invitation


There was a knock on the door of the tearoom. Briefly, Police Chief Kawaji
lay his tea cup down to address whomever was on the other side.

"Come in," he said.

The door opened slightly, and from the side a head popped in. It was Eiji,
one of the younger recruits in the police force. At seventeen years of age,
Eiji was still a cadet, yet Kawaji trusted him enough to be his aide.

"Sir, Officer Fujita's here," the young man reported.

A look of recognition crossed Kawaji's features. "Ah. Yes, send him in."

Pushing the door open all the way, Eiji entered the room. Another figure
then followed. He was tall, broad shouldered and had an air of power
whenever he moved which gave him an imposing prescence despite his lean
frame. He wore a simple navy blue police uniform, along with white gloves
and a pair of black boots. His face was long and angular, the features that
stood out most where a sharp nose and piercing brown eyes. To his side he
held a katana.

Kawaji then stood up to greet his guest. "Ah, Fujita. Welcome back to
Tokyo."

Saitoh Hajime merely frowned. "Hmph. What's so good about being back?"

"Come come now," Kawaji said, motioning him to sit down. "Don't tell me you
don't miss your old haunt."

"The only thing I miss is the fact that I'm not supposed to be here," the
Mibu's Wolf replied as he sat down on the tatami floor.

"Really Hajime," Kawaji said in a mock hurt tone, though his face showed no
sign of it. "You know I wouldn't have sent for you if it wasn't important."

"If it's important," Saitoh said pointedly.

"Ah yes. Always to the straight to the point, eh? Very well." Kawaji then
turned to Eiji, who was seated beside the door. "Eiji. Go wait downstairs
for our other guest. I'm sure he'll arrive soon."

"Yes sir." Eiji said as he bowed on his knees before standing up and closing
the door behind him.

Saitoh looked questioningly at Kawaji. "Other guest?"

"You'll know soon enough," the police chief replied. "By the way, it looked
like you hadn't exchanged greetings with Eiji. I'm surprised, since it was
you who took him in."

"I only took the brat in because he was a key witness in the Kyoto-hen
affair," Saitoh replied coldly, taking the time to draw a cigarette from his
coat pocket.

"True," Kawaji spoke as he poured some tea in his cup. "But still, you must
be a little proud at the way he's turned out. He'll be a fine policeman."

"I could care less," Saitoh said as he lit a match to burn his smoke.
"Weren't we getting to the point?"

"Fine, fine." Kawaji said, reaching under the table pull out a large brown
folder. Laying it on the table, he motioned for Saitoh to open it.

Raising an eyebrow, Saitoh opened the folder to peer at it's contents.

Kawaji sipped at his tea while the Mibu's Wolf examined the folder's
contents. He could tell that the report had intrigued Saitoh, as he briefly
saw him widen his eyes a bit at something he read. A few minutes passed,
when Saitoh put the folder down and turned his cold eyes upon the Police
Chief.

Kawaji returned the look with his most serious expression. "Horrible, isn't
it? Now can you see how serious this is?"

Saitoh took a long drag before answering. "Yes."

Kawaji took the folder and opened it once more. "We're still baffled as to
how the victims were taken. And as to where they were murdered, we're still
in the dark on that as well."

Saitoh arched an eyebrow. "And all the victims were random targets?"

Kawaji sighed, his face conveying his own frustration. "Very random. The
first two were peasant farmers who lived just an hour from Tokyo. The third
was a silk merchant who took residency near the Shinjuku district. While the
fourth was a sailor who lived near the docks."

Saitoh didn't look convinced. "Have you looked into their backgrounds? Is
there really no connection between all of them?"

"We've done that," Kawaji groused. "As far as we can tell, these people have
had nothing to do with each other. There's absolutely no pattern to this
madness."

Saitoh puffed before speaking once more. "So as to the way these people were
abducted, you said you had no idea?"

Kawaji ran his hand through his hair. "Not only do we have no clue as to
how, but where and when. All witness accounts state that the victims were in
the presence of friends and family, when suddenly, they're gone. None of
them knew they were missing until they were informed."

A narrowed look crossed Saitoh's eyes. "That doesn't make sense."

Kawaji merely sighed. "No it doesn't."

Saitoh continued as he put out his smoke. "Are you sure the witnesses are
not lying? For all we know they could be in league with whomever's doing
this."

"No, it couldn't be them," Kawaji said as he rubbed his forehead. "If it
was, we would've got it out of them a long time ago. All there alibi's have
been confirmed as well."

Saitoh took the news in, his brow furrowed in thought. He glanced back at
the photos, and blinked as something caught his attention.

"What are these markings?" he asked, pointing at the photo of one of the
murder victims. Around the body, strange symbols were drawn into the ground.

"No idea. All of the victims have those things written around them."

"And you no idea what they mean?"

Kawaji sighed in frustation. "As far as we know, those symbols are new here
in Japan."

The Mibu's Wolf for a moment was silent, before a nasty grin grew on his
face. "Interesting."

The comment and grin was enough to shake Kawaji. Even after all these years,
Saitoh was still able to make him shiver. "Yes. You would think that."
Pouring himself a cup, he went on. "Any thoughts?"

"I'd rule out any of the local Yakuza," Saitoh said, lighting a new
cigarette. "The victims don't seem the type to consent with them. And the
gangs would hardly murder anyone without reason."

"Could it be some mad killer on the loose?" Kawaji asked.

"Doubtful." Saitoh said before taking a drag. "These people could only have
been taken by numbers. Not by a single person."

"Shinobi?"

Saitoh thought for a moment before answering. "Possibly. But I know of no
ninja who could steal a person away without arousing suspicion of a victim's
disappearance. As you said, the witnesses didn't even know the victims were
missing until you told them so."

Kawaji looked frustrated. "If not them? Then who?"

"We could be dealing with an all new element here," Saitoh said coolly. "An
element new to Japan and capitalizing on our lack of knowledge to their
methods." He then pointed back at the photo. "As these unknown symbols
indicate."

A look of realization crossed Kawaji's face. "Yes. You're probably right.
It's fortunate then that our guest is arriving."

Saitoh arched an eyebrow at that. "Tell me, who is this next visitor of
ours-"

Saitoh never finished, as the sliding door opened to reveal Eiji once more.

"Excuse me sir," the young cadet nervously said. "But he's here."

"Ah good!" Kawaji exclaimed. "Send him in!"

Eiji opened the door all the way, just as Saitoh turned to address the new
presence entering the room. His eyes widened a bit in surprise, as a tall
gaijin stepped in the room. Eyeing the newcomer carefully, Saitoh tried to
take all that he could in one glance. His white khaki suit did little to
hide his lean and athletic figure. His features marked him as a as an
Englishman, as Saitoh dealt with them before. But he was not white like most
British people. Instead his skin was a tanned brown.

Hmmm. This is most interesting. Saitoh thought to himself as he and Kawaji
stood up.

"Welcome!" Kawaji greeted the newcomer, bowing. "I'm glad to see you've
arrived safely."

John Cadwell returned the favor, bowing as well. "Thank you."

***********

"Does this look good enough?" Misao said eagerly as she held up some tuna.

Kaoru looked at it briefly, before a look of disapproval crossed her
features. "I'm not sure if it's fresh enough."

Misao gave her a look of exasperation. "Mou! Kaoru! You've said the same
thing since we got here!"

"I know! I know!" Kaoru shot back, before calming down. "Look. I just want
to make sure that everything goes right."

"Everything will go right if you just stop being so finicky," Misao said
tiredly. She then turned to Tsubame for assistance. "Tsubame-chan, you agree
with me don't you? This is fresh, no?"

The waitress took one look at the tuna fish that Misao held out, before
nodding her agreement. "Hai. It looks fresh enough."

Kaoru looked between the ninja girl and the waitress, and sighed in defeat.
I guess I shouldn't argue any more, she thought morosely. Not if these two
will gang up on me. With that she took out money from her purse. "Fine,
fine. I'll take it."

Misao let out a sigh of relief, readily taking the money from her purse and
handing it to the vendor. I can see why Megumi-san didn't want to come.
Misao thought to herself as she put the tuna inside her bag.

Kaoru then looked at the list of ingredients they still needed to purchase.
"So, that takes care of the fish. Now all we need are-" She never got to
finish, as Misao took the list from her hand. "Misao-chan!"

Misao raised a hand, indicating to her friend to listen. Kaoru frowned, yet
conceded reluctantly. "Kaoru," the ninja spoke in a tone that was gentle yet
firm. "I know how much you want to cook dinner for everyone tonight. And you
know Tsubame and I promised to help you. But will you just relax? At the
rate you're going it won't be dinner but breakfast by the time we're
finished."

Kaoru winced at the words, but had to admit that Misao had a point. "Gomen,
Misao-chan. I guess I've been a little too picky."

Misao smiled in relief, glad that she knocked some sense into her. "That's
good. Now, why don't you let me and Tsubame-chan finish with this." Misao
pointed at the list

"All right," Kaoru readily agreed. With that, the three left the fish stall
and continued to look around the market.

Kaoru watched the two young women as they walked ahead of her. Inwardly she
smiled, they'd changed so much since then. Tsubame was fifteen now, she'd
grown a bit and become so pretty in that time since they met her. But what
really impressed her was the change in her demeanor. Though she was still
kind and gentle as always, she'd grown more of a backbone and had more
confidence in herself. In many ways, Tsubame reminded Kaoru of herself at
that age.

The changes in Misao however, had thrown Kaoru and the others for a wallop.
Physically, Misao had changed a lot, her body maturing from that of a
teenager to a full grown woman. Misao had even topped her by a few inches.
Kaoru wouldn't admit it openly, but inside she was feeling a bit jealous.
Misao was practically better looking than her. Yahiko had proven that point
when he failed to realize that the pretty lady he'd been trying to impress
was the same Misao he used to make fun off. Unfortunately for him, Misao
still hadn't outgrown that mischievous streak, and had loads of fun, much at
his expense. Kaoru couldn't be happier, glad that the weasel girl of the
Kyoto Oniwabanshu hadn't changed much in over five years.

Five years. Kaoru's eyes softened. Five years since that fateful night, when
she stopped on the road a certain red headed wanderer by the name of Himura
Kenshin. Her whole life had changed that day. It would be a whirlwind two
years after that meeting. Events would put them to the test, such as the
Kyoto-hen affair, when Shishio Makoto and his Juppongatana tried to take
over Japan. And then the fight with Enishi, who wanted revenge on Kenshin
for the death of his sister, would prove a painful time for them. Kaoru
still grew sad as she remembered everyone's account on how heartbroken they
were. When they thought she'd been killed by Enishi.

But I didn't die, and I did come back to them, to Kenshin. Kaoru smiled.
Since that time, events turned for the better. She married Kenshin, and they
had Miyako. Kaoru's life, besides her budo, was now spent in caring for her
daughter. And Kenshin was a wonderful father. Yahiko meanwhile, had become a
formidable budo master, and was already making a name for himself in Eastern
Japan. Kaoru was proud of him. He'd grown and matured in many ways since she
first took him in. All her prodding had made him a fine young man, a man her
new students respected. Well, all except one. There was Yutarou, of course,
who after five years returned to Japan to continue his budo training under
the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. His hand had healed since he left, and he was eager
to continue his duel with Yahiko. It would be a dumb move on his part, as
Yahiko defeated him easily. Baka. He just had to challenge Yahiko. Yutarou
has a long way to go before he can reach his level. Despite the outcome, she
was glad of one thing. Yutarou's defeat at the hand of his onetime rival was
enough motivation for him to train harder.

Yutarou's return had brought another surprise as well. Kaoru and Kenshin
thought they were both going to faint when Sanosuke arrived at the dojo with
him. It'd been three years since he left Japan for the New World. Kaoru
thought she'd never see the former gangster again. Apparently he'd been
penniless and down on his luck in Hawaii, that was until Yutarou found him
by accident. The young man had took him in, and gave him employment as his
"bodyguard". Probably Sano's idea. That baka-tori always was a slouch. So
it'd make sense he'd take an occupation that called for no work and a lot of
fighting. Despite her misgivings, Kaoru was happy to see him. Everyone had
missed him terribly. Well, Megumi wasn't really thrilled at seeing him. But
then again, they've always been like that. The doctor still stayed at Dr.
Genzai's clinic. Having taken it over since his retirement.

She'd been absorbed in her recollection that she failed to take notice of
the person who suddenly walked in front of her. "Oh!" Kaoru stumbled, yet
was able to maintain her balance. On the other hand, the person she'd just
bumped, was not so lucky.

"Aaa! Gomen-nasai!" Kaoru rushed to the fallen girl's side. She then helped
her up. "I'm such an idiot! I should have paid more attention!"

The girl raised her head and spoke reassuringly. "Iie. Daijobu desu. I was-
Kaoru-san?"

Kaoru blinked at the mention of her name, and found herself face to face
with Takutsuki Toki. "Ara! Toki-san!"

Toki smiled. "It's so nice to see you Kaoru-san!"

Kaoru smiled in return. "I could say the same of you! Oh, let me help you
with your things!" She then bent down to pick up Toki's fallen items.

"Hey Kaoru! What's wrong?" Misao said as she and Tsubame rushed to them. She
blinked at sight of Toki. "Oh, hello. I don't believe we've met."

Kaoru suddenly stood up to make introductions. "Oh! Toki-san, these are my
friends, Makamichi Misao and Sanjou Tsubame. Minna, this Takatsuki Toki."

Toki bowed to them. "Konnichiwa."

Misao and Tsubame returned her greeting. Kaoru then handed her things. "It's
a surprise to see you Toki-san. Are you shopping as well?"

"Hai," Toki said, dusting off her kimono. " I was just finishing up when I
bumped into you."

Kaoru laughed nervously. "Ahaha. I'm really sorry about that, Toki-san. I
was a bit preoccupied for a moment."

Misao rolled her eyes. "Mou. Kaoru, you were daydreaming again, weren't
you?"

Kaoru blushed, and was about to protest when Tsubame spoke. "Probably at how
much everyone will enjoy her cooking, Misao-san."

The two women laughed at those words. Kaoru however, fixed her two friends
with a glare. It did nothing to assuage their mirth, even Toki was laughing,
albeit politely, at her expense. She settled looking up at the sky, as if
praying for an answer. "Mou! What have I done to deserve this?"

***********


"So what do you make of these?" Kawaji asked as he pointed at some of the
pictures on the table.

John Cadwell examined the photos closely. They were graphic still lifes of
some of the murder victims. "Hmm. I'm not really sure. Though these symbols
around the bodies look somewhat familiar."

On one side of the table, Saitoh smoked calmly on his cigarette, as the
Englishman continued to mull about the photos. Though he appeared
unconcerned, Saitoh was in fact observing the gaijin, so as to discern what
he could about this man. There had been a brief introduction, where Saitoh
and Cadwell exchanged greetings. Apparently he'd been sent by the French
Ministry of War to assist them and though Kawaji had plainly explained the
reason for the latter's involvement, Saitoh was not thoroughly convinced.
Why was an Englishman working undercover for the French Government? Clearly
there was more to it than met the eye, and Saitoh vowed he'd look into the
matter personally.

Cadwell then spoke. "No, I'm sorry. I'm pretty sure I'd seen these marks
before. But as of now the answer eludes me."

Kawaji groaned in frustration. "Are you sure? You have no idea what they
mean?"

Cadwell sighed. "No. I'm no expert. I have some acquaintances back in
England who could probably tell you what this is. But not me."

Kawaji swore to himself as he gathered the photos in the folder. "Damn."

Cadwell bowed his head. "My apologies. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more
help."

"No need for apologies, Mr.Cadwell," Saitoh let out. "Perhaps we should
gather more information before calling on your services again."

"Yes," Cadwell agreed. With that he stood up. "I trust you'll contact me
when you have word on this case and the other matter we discussed?"

"Of course," Kawaji answered, as he and Saitoh both stood up. "We'll contact
you when we have something." The two policemen then bowed. "Good day,
Mr.Cadwell."

The Englishman then went to the door and stepped out from the room. As they
heard him heading downstairs, Kawaji turned to Saitoh, his face a disgusted
frown. "Well, that certainly was a waste of our time."

Saitoh didn't respond, having stood up to look out the window. Parked
outside the inn was Cadwell's carriage, and presently the Englishman stepped
out. It looked like he would board the carriage outright, but he turned to
browse one of the market stalls which was selling wood block prints.

Saitoh puffed at his cigarette while observing this. Kawaji then took this
moment to speak. "Well, Saitoh? What did you think of him?"

"Interesting," the policemen replied, not turning around. "But I must admit
that I'm a bit curious."

"Heh. You and me both." Kawaji then sipped the last of his tea. "I'm still
in the dark as to why him. But he comes highly recommended, by Count Raoul
De Coude's word."

"Raoul De Coude?" Saitoh asked in confusion.

"He's a high official in the French Ministry of War. He wrote to me of
Cadwell's arrival."

Saitoh digested this information, never taking his eye off the Englishman,
who continued to look around the stalls. It still eluded him, that a high
ranking official of the French Government would recommend this man. There
was more to him than he could phantom. But that would have to wait. He had
others matters to attend to, specifically the murders.

"I'll take my leave now," Saitoh said as he gathered his sword and headed
for the door.

"I'll expect a report by the end of the week," Kawaji said over his shoulder
as Saitoh stepped out.

All these murders, and now this gaijin. Saitoh thought to himself as he
descended the stairs. Hmph. Looks like I'll be here a while.

And so the Mibu's Wolf once again was on the prowl.

***********


"Okay! So we've got the daikon and the beef. What else do we need?" Misao
thumbed through the list in her hand. "Ah right! The tofu!"

"Don't worry, Misao-san," Tsubame said as she paid the store owner. "I'll go
get it."

"Oi Tsubame-chan! Matte!" Misao called out before the waitress could hurry
along.

"Don't worry Misao-san!" Tsubame then promptly crossed the street.

"Kono." Misao swore to herself.

Behind her, Kaoru and Toki were engaged in conversation.

"So, Toki-san. How long has it been? Four years?" Kaoru asked.

"Yes. Four years." Toki smiled, remembering the first time they'd met in
Yokohama. "I'm surprised it's been that long."

Kaoru grinned at that. "Hah. Well, time sure seems to fly in this day and
age. So how have you been? Are you still teaching?"

"Yes, I still do in fact. How about you Kaoru-san? I'm sure your dojo must
have many students by now."

Kaoru let out a short laugh. "Not as many as I'd like! But they're a good
bunch, though a little rowdy at times. And Yahiko helps keep them in line."

"Oh! How is Yahiko-san?" Toki look genuinely interested on the subject of
Kaoru's young apprentice. "I'm sure he's become a great swordsman by now."

Kaoru laughed again. "He is that and more!" She then leaned over to whisper.
"Although don't tell him I said that."

The two giggled at that. Toki then continued. "I'm not surprised really. I
knew he'd be someone special from the look in his eyes. Shigure-san always
said that-" She stopped as a shadow crossed her features for a moment.
"Well, he always said he saw a samurai's spirit within him."

Kaoru however had noticed the slip, and the pain that flashed in her eyes
when she mentioned Shigure. Oh Toki-san. Even after all this time, it's
still hurting you. Kaoru thought sadly. Understanding the dilemma, she
hastily changed the subject. "Say, Toki-san. If you're not doing anything
tonight, would you like to join us for dinner?"

Toki blinked at the invitation. "Oh no! Please Kaoru-san! I really wouldn't
want to impose!"

Kaoru pressed on despite her protest. "Toki-san, really. You're always
welcome at the dojo. Besides, we're having a bit of a party tonight. So
having someone over isn't really much trouble. And I'm sure Kenshin and the
others would be delighted to see you."

Toki thought for a moment. True, she had nothing to do tonight. And it would
be nice to have company, especially Kaoru-san and her friends "Well if you
insist, Kaoru-san. I'll be happy to join you."

"That's good!" Kaoru smiled in triumph, then turned as Misao approached
them.

"Hey. Whatcha two talkin about?" Misao asked as she walked up to them.

"Oh nothing really," Kaoru replied. "I just invited Toki-san to dinner."

The surprise on Misao's face was quickly replaced by a wide grin. "That's
great!" She turned to Toki and grabbed her hands. "You'll have the best
time! I promise you that!"

Toki blushed a bit, a little taken back by the ninja girl's enthusiastic
response. "Well.Thank you very much.And I hope I'm not much of a bother."

"Don't be silly! Any friend of Kaoru's is a friend of mine!" Misao turned to
smile brightly at blue haired dojo master.

"That's settled then," Kaoru said happily. Her face then took a more serious
tone. "Speaking of which, are you and Tsubame-chan finished yet?"

"Oh! Well, Tsubame just went to get the tofu and." She stopped abruptly as
she eyed the waitress crossing the street. "Look! Here she comes!"

Tsubame crossed the street at a normal pace, not wanting to spill the tofu
tub in her hands. She waved at the three women across.

She never noticed the heavy sound of hooves to her right.

Or the panicked sounds of bystanders as they tried to scramble off the
pavement.

Before she knew it, Tsubame had turned around to see what was about. Before
her, a runaway horse was bounding towards her at incredible speed.

Tsubame didn't have to time to blink, let alone run. She stood there frozen
in fear, not noticing Kaoru and Toki's panicked cries, or of Misao's attempt
to rush to her.

The wild stallion was now before her, and Tsubame shut her eyes, hoping it
would be quick.

It never came.

Instead she felt something around her waist, and the sensation of being
lifted off her feet. The flight seemed to end after a moment, at the point
Tsubame opened her eyes. She was surprised to see herself being held above
the ground with a large arm around her waist. She turned to see who had
grabbed her, and was shocked beyond words. The man who held her was huge,
taller and broad shouldered than Sanosuke. His face was long and angular,
and his hair was long and unbound, reaching well past his shoulders. Despite
her surprise, Tsubame could tell he was a foreigner.

Presently he looked at her with some concern, before turning to observe the
horse that proceeded to tear up the street.

"A.ano." Tsubame stammered, just before the man lowered to her feet.

"Stay here." He said simply, then bounded after the wild horse.

"TSUBAME-CHAN!" Kaoru's frantic voice rang out as she rushed to the young
girl who fell on her knees, Misao and Toki on her heels. She then bent down
to examine Tsubame. "Tsubame-chan! Thank goodness! Are you alright?!"

"Ha.hai," the young girl sniffled, her eyes starting to brim with tears.
Instinctively Kaoru took in her arms.

"Uso! What is he doing?!" Misao's shouted with disbelief. Toki, Kaoru and
Tsubame turned to see what she was talking about.

Ahead of them, the horse continued to run wild across the marketplace. Right
behind him, the man who saved Tsubame was moving swiftly to catch the beast.
Suddenly he jumped, and with blinding speed was on the horses' back before
anyone could blink. The horse proceeded to thrash around, knocking down
stalls and kicking dust in an attempt to rid itself of the figure which held
on to it's back. The man then flipped off the horse, his arms locked around
the neck of the animal, to plant his feet on the ground. With a sudden push,
he forced the animal to the ground. Despite lying on it's side, the horse
continued to thrash about, but the man held on.

Kaoru and the others gasped at the display and then rushed to the crowd of
people who gathered around the scene. The horse continued to struggle, but
the gaijin's arms held it by the neck and still held it secure. Before long
the beast stopped kicking about, and was reduced to heavy breathing. The man
then loosened his hold, much to the surprise and horror of the onlookers,
thinking the beast would run wild again. Much to their surprise, the beast
lay still, the fire in it's eyes seemingly snuffed out. The man had now
released his hold on the creature's neck and proceeded to stroke him.

"Sugoi," Kaoru spoke, in awe of the ease with which the man had calmed the
wild animal. Her companions nodded their agreement, equally amazed at the
display. Slowly the man stood up, and gently tugged at the horse's reins so
it could stand. The crowd stood back, still wary and in fear of the
stallions temperment. The horse however just stood there, neighing happily
at the stroking the man gave him.

Wow! That's so cool! Misao thought to herself. The crowd seemed to agree
with her, as they were clapping and applauding the gaijin. He looked at the
people around him in surprise, then bowed sheepishly to them in thanks. As
he turned to bow at them, Kaoru, and Misao caught a glimpse of him, and were
struck by how handsome he was. Toki however, reacted differently, as she
instantly recognized him. "Cadwell-san?!"

John Cadwell turned at the mention of his name, and immediately spotted Toki
standing beside three young women. One of which was the young girl he'd
saved earlier. "Toki-san?"

Kaoru and her two friends stared at the two, surprised that they knew of
each other. Cadwell then approached them. "Well I must say never expected to
see you again so soon." He said with a smile.

Toki giggled at his statement. "I'm surprised to see you too, Cadwell-san.
What brings you here?"

"Oh just some business," he said nonchalantly, not elaborating much. He then
turned to the three women who were watching them converse. "I'm sorry. Are
you these your friends?"

The three blinked, and immediately went red. Toki smiled as they laughed
nervously. "Yes, you could say that."

Kaoru stepped forward, a bit red faced. "Gomen nasai. I'm sorry if we were
staring at you. We didn't mean anything by it." She then bowed to introduce
herself. "Kamiya Kaoru desu. Dozu Yorushiku."

Misao blinked before joining her, bowing as well. "Uh.Makimachi Misao desu.
Dozu."

Tsubame nervously copied them. "Sa.Sanjou Tsubame desu. Dozu."

He returned the gesture. "A pleasure to meet all of you." He then bowed.
"I'm John Cadwell of England."

"I'm sorry again if we were staring," Kaoru said hesitantly. "But we were
just surprised that Toki-san knew you."

He laughed at that. "I suppose that is." He then gestured to Tsubame. "I
trust Tsubame-san is fine from her ordeal?"

Kaoru blinked, then cursed herself for not remembering. The man had saved
Tsubame's life! "Oh! Yes! She's just fine! Thank you for rescuing her!"

"It was no trouble," he spoke plainly, before fixing Tsubame with a look of
concern. "I wasn't too rough on you I hope?" He smiled pleasantly.

Tsubame seemed to shrink under his gaze, despite his kind demeanor. She
squeaked, "Oh.um, no.I'm fine really.Thank you."

His smile grew wider, but had no time to speak as a loud voice spoke out.
The four turned to see what was about. They then saw a large man pushing
through the crowd. He was dressed in a blue soldier's uniform, the jacket
unbuttoned from the top. The stripes on his shoulder marked him as a rank
officer. Strapped his side was a saber. His red face and haggard steps
suggested he'd been drinking. In his hand he carried what appeared to be a
leather strap. He approached the horse menacingly.

"You stupid horse!" he spat out, his face contorted in anger. "Run away from
me will you?!"

The horse tried to pull back, but the disgruntled samurai grabbed at the
reins. "C'mere!" He shouted as he yanked on them roughly, much to the
horse's dismay. "I'll give you a whipping you won't soon forget!"

Kaoru watched the scene in horror. Worried that the poor thing may be hurt.
She then saw Misao's darkening expression, and realized belatedly what the
young onmitsu was about to do. She grabbed the girl's arm before she could
move forward to pummel the man. "Misao-chan! Don't!"

Misao turned to her friend in shock. "Kaoru! Don't tell me you're gonna let
him hurt the poor thing!"

Kaoru shook her head. "I don't want that either. But there's nothing we can
do. He's a soldier, and that animal's his property."

Misao gritted her teeth, knowing Kaoru had a point. "There must be some-"

She never finished her statement, as John Cadwell suddenly stepped forward.
The officer by this time had quite enough of the horse's belligerence, and
had now raised the strap to whip the stallion. Before he could, Cadwell
grabbed hold of his wrist. The angry samurai turned angrily on the
Englishman, and tried to pry his hand free.

"Hey! Let go of me!" He struggled but to no avail.

Cadwell merely narrowed his eyes. "I will not let you hurt this creature."

"Says you! This horse is mine! And I'll do what I want with it!" Realizing
the Englishman would not relent, the soldier settled for force, and reached
for his sword. Kaoru and the others saw this, and were about to run in to
intervene. Cadwell eyes however, became slits, and with a swing of his arm,
threw the soldier a good four feet from him.

Whoa. He's strong. Misao thought to herself. That guy was pretty big, yet he
threw him like a sack of rice.

The soldier gathered himself up, glaring at the Englishman with unmasked
fury. Everyone took a step back as he finally drew his sword out. "Kisama!
You're dead gaijin!" With that he charged.

Kaoru looked in horror. The Englishman would not stand a chance, especially
if he was unarmed. She and Misao were about to run in to help, when Cadwell
suddenly charged the raging soldier. The soldier raised his blade, ready to
strike, when Cadwell grabbed both his arms. The soldier didn't have time to
think, as the Englishman slammed his forehead into the man's skull. The
soldier keeled over from the blow, and went down, his nose a bloody mess.

The crowd applauded, cheering on the gaijin who was giving the unruly
officer a good thrashing. Kaoru however was amazed, and realized that he was
quite capable of taking care of himself. She turned to look at her friends
who were watching the scene. Misao eyes were wide, an indication of how in
awe she was of the gaijin. Tsubame looked a bit timid, probably out of
concern for John Cadwell's well being. The look on Toki's face was of pure
relief. Happy that the Englishman had not been hurt.

Gasps were heard however, when the soldier got up to his knees. Holding his
bleeding nose in one hand and his sword in the other, he stood up despite
the shaking in his legs.

"Oi! We're not through yet, you!" He roared at the Englishman, who stood
there watching him with a cool expression.

"Actually you are," a new voice cut in. Kaoru and Misao both went pale at
sound of it. They slowly turned their heads to the source, and went white as
snow. For standing there not a few feet from them, was Saitoh Hajime.

"Saitoh?!" Misao said in disbelief, not wanting to trust her eyes. "What the
hell's he doing here?!!"

Kaoru did not speak, but her thoughts were loud with confusion. What is
Saitoh doing back in Tokyo?! I thought he left for God knows where! Her face
went pale as another thought crossed her mind. Oh no! Kenshin will be
furious once he finds out about this!

The soldier looked at Saitoh suspiciously. "Who the hell are you?!"

Saitoh regarded him coldly. "Fujita Goro, a police officer. And you are?"

The look on the soldier's face could not have been more pleased. "I'm
Lieutenant Jingoro Kanazu." He then pointed at Cadwell. "Office Fujita! I
demand you arrest that man!"

"Oh?" Saitoh replied, as he eyed the Englishman. "On what charge?"

Kanazu scowled at him. "What do you think, you idiot?! He assaulted me!"

"Really?" Saitoh responded dryly, earning another scowl from the Lieutenant.
"That's unfortunate, because I can't."

Kanazu went livid with rage. "What do you mean you can't?!"

Saitoh merely puffed on his cigarette. "Isn't it obvious? The man attacked
you in self-defense Lieutenant. I can hardly arrest him for that."

"SELF DEFENSE?!!" Kanazu roared. "He was the first one to touch me you
idiot!"

"Only to prevent you from whipping your poor horse. I have to ask you
Lieutenant. Do you have something against animals?" He ended with a smirk.

Kanazu had just about taken all that he could from Saitoh Hajime. "Yarou!"
The Lieutenant then raised his sword. "Insult me, will you?!"

Blinding. That would have been the word for the speed with which the Mibu's
Wolf drew his sword, and in one strike, broke Kanazu's sword in two. The
Lieutenant stood in shock, and could do nothing else as the tip of Saitoh's
katana was just a hair's width from his throat.

Kaoru watched this scene nervously. Sugoi, he's as good as ever. She was
thoroughly worried now for Kenshin. If Saitoh and her husband were ever to
start their duel again, Kenshin would be hard pressed. As it was obvious
that the Mibu's Wolf had not lost his edge over the years.

Saitoh's eyes were narrowed, yet the grin on his face was that of malicious
amusement. "My, my Lieutenant. Now you're going to add assault of a police
officer to your list of charges? I expected better of you."

Kanazu looked surprised. "What list of charges?!"

The cold smile on Saitoh's face was enough to make both Kaoru and Misao
shiver. "Disturbance of the peace. By the smell of you I'd say you were
drunk when you horse ran off. It thus went wild, and endangered innocent
people. Your irresponsibility nearly caused people's deaths. As for the
second charge, you assaulted an innocent civilian, that being this English
gentleman. You should thank him Lieutenant. It not for him, you would have
been chasing your mount all the way to Osaka."

The Lieutenant gritted his teeth, but said nothing. Saitoh then continued.
"Now as I see it, Lieutenant. You have two choices. One, you can resist me
and my authority, so then I can have you dragged from here in chains. Or
two, you can forget this entire farce, and leave here with your dignity
intact. Don't worry, I won't stop you."

The Lieutenant was now sweating, but before he could say anything, Saitoh
went on. "Oh if you think your contacts in the military will help you, don't
bother. I have some friends there who'll be more than happy to make your
life miserable."

Kanazu looked miserable, believing the threats the policeman had given him.
With much frustration, he dropped his now broken saber. Saitoh then lowered
his katana.

"I'm glad to see you have some measure of intelligence," Saitoh sneered, as
the officer turned to retrieve his mount. "Oh, I'm afraid your horse will
have to be taken in as evidence."

The Lieutenant gave Saitoh a look that could melt ice. But he said nothing,
as the crowd made way for him as he stalked off.

Saitoh watched as the Lieutenant walked away, the cold smile on his face a
clear sign that he was thoroughly amused by his humiliation of the army
officer. His eyes then caught something else, among the crowd was a group of
four women. One he recognized as Toki Takutsuki, who'd been involved with
the rebel Takimi Shigure. The young one with the shy demeanor he knew worked
at the Akabeko restaurant, where Battousai and his friends would usually
frequent. But the last two caught his interest, as they were eyeing him with
suspicion. Smiling evilly to himself, he approached the staring pair of
Kamiya Kaoru and Makimachi Misao.

"Well if it isn't the raccoon and the weasel," he said dryly. "I trust you
two have been well?"

Misao looked at him hotly. "And just what does our welfare mean to you?"

"My goodness. Is that any way to talk to somebody you've not seen for so
long?"

"With you it's a must." Misao finished with a nasty grin.

"Misao-chan," Kaoru pleaded, trying to calm her down.

Saitoh didn't look a bit fazed by her comment. "I can see you've grown quite
a bit, weasel girl. But I guess you're a little too childish for your
okashira's taste."

"Teme!" Misao growled, angry that he'd use Aoshi to bait her. "I'll kick
your ass, Miburo!" She reached for her kunai inside her kimono, despite
being held by Kaoru.

"Misao-chan!" Kaoru was desperate now. She then turned to Saitoh, glaring at
him. "That's enough, Saitoh-san."

Saitoh merely grinned. "Fine then." He then turned to walk away, despite the
curses Misao threw at him. After a few steps, he called to Kaoru. "By the
way, I look forward to seeing your husband again."

Kaoru scowled, but decided to play him at his own game. "Well that's a darn
shame. Cause he definitely wouldn't want to see you."

Saitoh seemed amused by this fact. "Really? I thought he'd want to see me,
just to get away from your cooking." He ended with a smirk as Kaoru tried to
get at him, with Misao this time holding her back. As he turned to walk
away, he found the lone figure of John Cadwell staring at him with
puzzlement. Saitoh turned to bow to him before walking away.

Yes, most interesting indeed. Saitoh thought to himself, recalling the
Englishman's display of skill and agility when he wrestled with the horse.
He'd been impressed to say the least, and had furthered his curiosity of
learning the Englishman's true nature. I'll be looking forward to seeing
more of you, John Cadwell.

***********


Cadwell watched the retreating form of Hajime Saitoh, confused as to why the
policeman came to his aid. From their initial meeting, the Englishman sensed
that the police officer was no ordinary man. But he had yet to know of the
cunning that made Saitoh a dangerous opponent, until just minutes ago, after
watching the Mibu's Wolf toy with Lt. Kanazu as if he was a puppet. He'd
been equally impressed by Saitoh's skill with the sword. It was clear to him
that the policeman was not one to be underestimated.

By this time the crowd had dispersed. He then turned his attention to Toki
and her friends. Misao and Kaoru were still yelling at Saitoh, despite the
latter's ignorance. Toki then walked up to Kaoru after she'd calmed down. He
then saw Toki whisper something to the blue haired girl. Kaoru looked at
Toki in surprise. The Englishman became confused when they stole a glance at
him. Whatever it was they were discussing, somehow it involved him.

He saw Kaoru gave an exasperated sigh, and nod her head in agreement. Toki
smiled at her, then turned to walk towards him. He wondered what it was she
was going to tell him.

Halting herself, Toki bowed to him and spoke softly. "Cadwell-san, If you
have no prior engagements. Would you care to join us for dinner?"

#############

End of Chapter 2

Haagggh. Finally finished. I would have finished sooner if I hadn't been so
distracted lately. And this chapter is longer than I originally envisioned.
I will try to keep the succeeding chapters as short as possible.


-Jedi Brother Horace