InuYasha Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Inu-Ra-Ken: Affections Touching Across Sense ❯ Rurouni Kenshin Taken ( Chapter 2 )

"Kenshin! Kenshin, wait up!" Yahiko called, running down the path towards town. "You forgot the container for the tofu!" He skidded to a stop in front of Kenshin, who had turned to face him.

"Here," Yahiko said, handing him the container.

"Thank you," Kenshin replied, smiling at the boy and turning to continue towards town.

Yahiko watched him go for a moment, then called after him again. "Hey, Kenshin, wait!" He hurried over to his friend's side and fell into step beside him.

"Is something wrong? You've been out of it all day."

Kenshin hesitated before answering.

"I have a feeling something is about to happen…"

"What sort of something?"

"I don't know, degozaru, but it is something evil."

"Evil?!" Yahiko exclaimed, his eyes growing large with surprise.

"Yes. Evil."

The pair walked in silence for a while. As they walked, Kenshin's pace grew faster and faster.

"Hey, Kenshin, slow down! What's the big rush?!" Yahiko finally snapped. His short legs made him practically have to run to keep up with the samurai.

"I want to get back from town as soon as possible, degozario. I don't feel comfortable leaving Kaoru-dono alone today."

"She'll be fine! Sanosuke's with her."

Kenshin's pace only increased.

A few minutes later, Kenshin suddenly stopped dead, dropping the containers he had been carrying and reaching for his sword. His stop was so sudden that Yahiko, who had fallen slightly behind, collided with his back. The boy tripped over his own feet backing up and fell to the ground.

"Hey!" He growled angrily from his seat on the ground. "What's the big idea?!"

Kenshin did not reply. He was watching the woods around them carefully, one hand still resting lightly on his sword. Yahiko quickly realized what was going on and jumped to his feet, grabbing his wooden sword and holding it in front of him with both hands.

"What's wrong?" he asked Kenshin, his own eyes peering around as carefully as the samurai's. "Did you hear something?"

Before Kenshin could answer, a group of men, about fifteen, dressed in ragged, dirty clothing and brandishing various beaten-up and dirty weapons, burst from the woods on both sides and surrounded them.

"Give us all your money and you won't get hurt!" growled the apparent ringleader. He held a rusted and cracked sword with both hands.

"Ha!" Yahiko laughed. "You guys sure picked the wrong people to try and rob!"

Kenshin simply stared at the group, eyes serious, one hand still resting on his sword.

"Don't look so worried, Kenshin!" Yahiko said, glancing at him curiously. "These guys are pathetic. We can take them in two minutes!"

"You think so, brat?" yelled one of the group. He charged at Yahiko, swinging a large wooden stick at the boy's head. Yahiko easily dodged the blow and stuck his wooden sword in front of the man's feet, tripping him and sending him flying face first to the ground.

"See? Like I said, pathetic! Don't tell me this lot has been what had you worried all day, Kenshin!"

"No, degozario. They are not what has been worrying me all day."

Something about Kenshin's tone suggested to Yahiko that he had discovered what had been worrying him all day and it was not good. The boy glanced over at Kenshin and cried out in surprise. He was glowing. A purple light seemed to be emanating from him. It covered not only his body but his clothes and sword as well.

The bandits also gave cries of surprise and most made as if to run away, but the man who had spoken first, the man with the sword, yelled for them to stay and fight.

"Don't be frightened by a simple trick like that! Stand and fight like men!" he yelled. With a battle cry, he charged at Kenshin, followed, after a slight hesitation, by his men.

Automatically, Kenshin drew his sakabato sword, taking down three of the men, including the leader with his first strike. As the glowing sword hit each of the men, they too were wrapped in the purple light, then instantly ceased to glow when they were no longer touching the sword.

The rest of the bandits were dealt with in a matter of seconds, although most of the group ran away as soon as their leader fell. Yahiko took just enough time to throw a rock at the retreating back of one of the group, before hurrying over to Kenshin.
"What's going on? What's that purple glow?"

"I don't know, degozario, but it's evil. No, don't touch me! It seems to spread to anything and anyone I touch."

Yahiko jerked his hand back.

Kenshin raised his hands up to eye level to examine them, peering carefully at the purple glow.

"It tingles," he observed, wiggling his fingers experimentally.

Before Yahiko could reply, there was a noise at the pair's feet. The leader of the group had recovered. He rolled suddenly onto his back, pulling a small wooden tube from his rumbled shirt and placing the end of it to his mouth.

"Hey, what is th-." Yahiko was cut off as Kenshin instinctively grabbed hold of him, hauling him backwards with a cry. A small dart whizzed past Yahiko's ear as he fell. At the same time, he also felt the strange glow envelope him. It does tingle, was the only thought he had time for before the world was enveloped in a blinding white glow. The expected impact with the ground never came. The world faded away into nothing.

The leader of the group of bandits was left lying on the ground, staring in shock at the spot where the samurai and the boy had disappeared before his very eyes.