Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Crossing Boundaries ❯ Informant ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

She was restless. The closed in space was getting to her and the constant hum of engines was beginning to give her a headache. She hated flying. She glanced at her seat partner. Misao was blissfully passed out, a soft snore escaping the small girl every so often. Jerk, Kaoru huffed, turning resolutely back to the stack of papers Misao had handed her right before take-off.

“Familiarize yourself with these,” she'd said and then she'd turned to mash all the buttons on the small screen in front of her, flip through the magazines in the seat pocket, and hum to the music on her mp3 player before sprawling across her seat and sleeping.

The top few pages seemed to be general information and Kaoru flipped through them quickly. Next were maps—both ancient and modern—then several pages of what could only be leads. Some leads where crossed out and others had small, concise writing next to them. She spent a few minutes amusing herself with the extra notes before moving on. The next pages were scans from a book and Kaoru paused, reading the title: Neferkaptah and the Book of Thoth.

A frown tugged at her lips. A myth? Were they chasing smoke? A glance at Misao only revealed that the girl was still out cold so Kaoru settled down to read.

Ahura was the wife of Nefer-ka-ptah, and their child was Merab; this was the name by which he was registered by the scribes in the House of Life. And Nefer-ka-ptah, though he was the son of the King, cared for naught on earth but to read the ancient records, written on papyrus in the House of Life or engraved on stone in the temples; all day and every day he studied the writings of the ancestors.
One day he went into the temple to pray to the gods, but when he saw the inscriptions on thewalls he began to read them; and he forgot to pray, he forgot the gods, he forgot the priests, heforgot all that was around him until he heard laughter behind him. He looked round and a prieststood there, and from him came the laughter.

"Why laughest thou at me?" said Nefer-ka-ptah.

"Because thou readest these worthless writings," answered the priest. "If thou would readest writings that are worth the reading I can tell thee where the Book of Thoth lies hidden."

Then Nefer-ka-ptah was eager in his questions, and the priest replied, "Thoth wrote the Bookwith his own hand, and in it is all the magic in the world. If thou readest the first page, thou wiltenchant the sky, the earth, the abyss, the mountains, and the sea; thou wilt understand thelanguage of the birds of the air, and thou wilt know what the creeping things of earth are saying,and thou wilt see the fishes from the darkest depths of the sea. And if thou read the other page,even though thou wert dead and in the world of ghosts, thou could come back to earth in theform thou once had. And besides this, thou wilt see the sun shining in the sky with the full moonand the stars, and thou wilt behold the great shapes of the gods."

Then said Nefer-ka-ptah, "By the life of Pharaoh, that Book shall be mine. Tell me whatsoever it is that thou desires, and I will do it for thee."


"Provide for my funeral," said the priest. "See that I am buried as a rich man, with priests andmourning women, offerings, libations, and incense. Then shall my soul rest in peace in the fieldsof Aalu. One hundred pieces of silver must be spent upon my burying."

Then Nefer-ka-ptah sent a fleet messenger to fetch the money, and he paid one hundred pieces of silver into the priest's hands. When the priest had taken the silver, he said to Nefer-ka-ptah:

"The Book is at Koptos in the middle of the river.
In the middle of the river is an iron box,In the iron box is a bronze box,In the bronze box is a keté-wood box,In the keté-wood box is an ivory-and-ebony box,In the ivory-and-ebony box is a silver box,In the silver box is a gold box,And in the gold box is the Book of Thoth,Round about the great iron box are snakes and scorpions and all manner of crawling things, and above all there is a snake which no man can kill. These are set to guard the Book of Thoth."

When the priest had finished speaking, Nefer-ka-ptah ran out of the temple, for his joy was sogreat that he knew not where he was. He ran quickly to Ahura to tell her about the Book and thathe would go to Koptos and find it.

But Ahura was very sorrowful, and said, "Go not on this journey, for trouble and grief await thee in the southern land."

She laid her hand upon Nefer-ka-ptah as though she would hold him back from the sorrow that awaited him. But he would not be restrained, and broke away from her and went to the king his father.
He told the King all that he had learned, and said, "Give me the royal barge, O my father, that Imay go to the southern land with my wife Ahura and my son Merab. For the Book of Thoth Imust and will have."

The King gave orders and the royal barge was prepared, and in it Nefer-ka-ptah, Ahura, andMerab sailed up the river to the southern land as far as Koptos. When they arrived at Koptos, thehigh priest and all the priests of Isis of Koptos came down to the river to welcome Nefer-ka-ptah,sacrificed an ox and a goose, and poured a libation of wine to Isis of Koptos and her sonHarpocrates. After this, the priests of Isis and their wives made a great feast for four days inhonor of Nefer-ka-ptah and Ahura.

On the morning of the fifth day, Nefer-ka-ptah called to him a priest of Isis, a great magicianlearned in all the mysteries of the gods. And together they made a little magic box, like the cabinof a boat, and they made men and a great store of tackle, and put the men and the tackle in themagic cabin. Then they uttered a spell over the cabin, and the men breathed and were alive, andbegan to use the tackle. And Nefer-ka-ptah sank the magic cabin in the river, saying "Workmen,workmen! Work for me!" And he filled the royal barge with sand and sailed away alone, whileAhura sat on the bank of the river at Koptos, and watched and waited, for she knew that sorrowmust come of this journey to the southern land.

The magic men in the magic cabin toiled all night and all day for three nights and three daysalong the bottom of the river; and when they stopped the royal barge stopped also, and Nefer-ka-ptah knew that he had arrived where the Book lay hidden.

He took the sand out of the royal barge and threw it into the water, and it made a gap in the river, a gap of a schoenus long and a schoenus wide; in the middle of the gap lay the iron box, andbeside the box was coiled the great snake that no man can kill, and all around the box on everyside to the edge of the walls of water were snakes and scorpions and all manner of crawlingthings.

Then Nefer-ka-ptah stood up in the royal barge, and across the water he cried to the snakes andscorpions and crawling things; a loud and terrible cry, and the words were words of magic. Assoon as his voice was still, the snakes and scorpions and crawling things were still also, for theywere enchanted by means of the magical words of Nefer-ka-ptah, and they could not move.Nefer-ka-ptah brought the royal barge to the edge of the gap, and he walked through the snakes and scorpions and crawling things, and they looked at him, but could not move because of the spell that was on them.

And now Nefer-ka-ptah was face to face with the snake that no man could kill, and it reareditself up ready for battle. Nefer-ka-ptah rushed upon it and cut off its head, and at once the headand body came together, each to each, and the snake that no man could kill was alive again, andready for the fray. Again Nefer-ka-ptah rushed upon it, and so hard did he strike that the headwas flung far from the body, but at once the head and body came together again, each to each,and again the snake that no man could kill was alive and ready to fight. Then Nefer-ka-ptah sawthat the snake was immortal and could not be slain but must be overcome by subtle means. Againhe rushed upon it and cut it in two, and very quickly he put sand on each part, so that when thehead and body came together there was sand between them and they could not join, and thesnake that no man could kill lay helpless before him.

Then Nefer-ka-ptah went to the great box where it stood in the gap in the middle of the river, and the snakes and scorpions and crawling things watched, but they could not stop him.

He opened the iron box and found a bronze box,He opened the bronze box and found a keté-wood box,He opened the keté-wood box and found an ivory-and-ebony box,He opened the ivory-and-ebony box and found a silver box,He opened the silver box and found a gold box,
He opened the gold box and found the Book of Thoth.
He opened the Book and read a page, and at once he had enchanted the sky, the earth, the abyss, the mountains, and the sea, and he understood the language of birds, fish, and beasts. He read the second page and he saw the sun shining in the sky, with the full moon and the stars, and he sawthe great shapes of the gods themselves; and so strong was the magic that the fishes came upfrom the darkest depths of the sea. So he knew that what the priest had told him was true.

Then he thought of Ahura waiting for him at Koptos, and he cast a magic spell upon the men that he had made, saying, "Workmen, workmen! Work for me and take me back to the place fromwhich I came!" They toiled day and night till they came to Koptos, and there was Ahura sittingby the river, having eaten nothing and drunk nothing since Nefer-ka-ptah went away. For she satwaiting and watching for the sorrow that was to come upon them.

But when she saw Nefer-ka-ptah returning in the royal-barge, her heart was glad and she rejoiced exceedingly. Nefer-ka-ptah came to her and put the Book of Thoth into her hands and bade herread it. When she read the first page, she enchanted the sky, the earth, the abyss, the mountains,and the sea, and she understood the language of birds, fish, and beasts; and when she read thesecond page, she saw the sun shining in the sky, with the full moon and the stars, and she saw thegreat shapes of the gods themselves; and so strong was the magic that the fishes came up fromthe darkest depths of the sea.

Nefer-ka-ptah now called for a piece of new papyrus and for a cup of beer; and on the papyrus he wrote all the spells that were in the Book of Thoth. Then he took the cup of beer and washed the papyrus in the beer, so that all the ink was washed off and the papyrus became as though it had never been written on. And Nefer-ka-ptah drank the beer, and at once he knew all the spells that had been written on the papyrus, for this is the method of the great magicians.

Then Nefer-ka-ptah and Ahura went to the temple of Isis and gave offerings to Isis and Harpocrates, and made a great feast, and the next day they went on board the royal barge and sailed joyfully away down the river towards the northern land.

But behold, Thoth had discovered the loss of his Book, and Thoth raged like a panther of the south, and he hastened before Ra and told him all, saving, "Nefer-ka-ptah has found my magic box and opened it, and has stolen my Book, even the Book of Thoth; he slew the guards that surrounded it, and the snake that no man can kill lay helpless before him. Avenge me, O Ra, upon Nefer-ka-ptah, son of the King of Egypt."

The majesty of Ra answered and said, "Take him and his wife and his child, and do with them as thou wilt." And now the sorrow for which Ahura watched and waited was about to come uponthem, for Thoth took with him a power from Ra to give him his desire upon the stealer of hisBook.

As the royal barge sailed smoothly down the river, the little boy Merab ran out from the shade of the awning and leaned over the side watching the water. And the power of Ra drew him, so thathe fell into the river and was drowned. When he fell, all the sailors on the royal barge and all thepeople walking on the river bank raised a great cry, but they could not save him. Nefer-ka-ptahcame out of the cabin and read a magical spell over the water, and the body of Merab came to thesurface and they brought it on board the royal barge. Then Nefer-ka-ptah read another spell, andso great was its power that the dead child spoke and told Nefer-ka-ptah all that had happenedamong the gods, that Thoth was seeking vengeance, and that Ra had granted him his desire uponthe stealer of his Book.

Nefer-ka-ptah gave command, and the royal barge returned to Koptos, that Merab might beburied there with the honor due to the son of a prince. When the funeral ceremonies were over,the royal barge sailed down the river toward the northern land. A joyful journey was it no longer,for Merab was dead, and Ahura's heart was heavy on account of the sorrow that was still tocome, for the vengeance of Thoth was not yet fulfilled.

They reached the place where Merab had fallen into the water, and Ahura came out from underthe shade of the awning, and she leaned over the side of the barge, and the power of Ra drew herso that she fell into the river and was drowned. When she fell, all the sailors in the royal bargeand all the people walking on the river-bank raised a great cry, but they could not save her.
Nefer-ka-ptah came out of the cabin and read a magical spell over the water, and the body ofAhura came to the surface, and they brought it on board the royal barge. Then Nefer-ka-ptah readanother spell and so great was its power that the dead woman spoke and told Nefer-ka-ptah allthat had happened among the gods, that Thoth was still seeking vengeance, and that Ra hadgranted him his desire upon the stealer of his Book.

Nefer-ka-ptah gave command and the royal barge returned to Koptos, that Ahura might be buried there with the honor due to the daughter of a king. When the funeral ceremonies were over, the royal barge sailed down the river towards the northern land. A sorrowful journey was it now, for Ahura and Merab were dead, and the vengeance of Thoth was not yet fulfilled.

They reached the place where Ahura and Merab had fallen into the water, and Nefer-ka-ptah felt the power of Ra drawing him. Though he struggled against it he knew that it would conquer him. He took a piece of royal linen, fine and strong, and made it into a girdle, and with it he bound the Book of Thoth firmly to his breast, for he was resolved that Thoth should never have his Book again.

Then the power drew him yet more strongly, and he came from under the shade of the awningand threw himself into the river and was drowned. When he fell, all the sailors of the royal bargeand all the people walking on the river-bank raised a great cry, but they could not save him. Andwhen they looked for his body they could not find it. So the royal barge sailed down the river tillthey reached the northern land and came to Memphis, and the chiefs of the royal barge went tothe king and told him all that had happened.

The king put on mourning raiment; he and his courtiers, the high priest and all the priests ofMemphis, the king's army and the king's household, were clothed in mourning apparel, and theywalked in procession to the haven of Memphis to the royal barge. When they came to the haven,they saw the body of Nefer-ka-ptah floating in the water beside the barge, close to the greatsteering-oars. And this marvel came to pass because of the magical powers of Nefer-ka-ptah;even in death he was a great magician by reason of the spells he had washed off the papyrus anddrunk in the beer.

Then they drew him out of the water, and they saw the Book of Thoth bound to his breast with the girdle of royal linen. And the king gave command that they should bury Nefer-ka-ptah with the honor due to the son of a king, and that the Book of Thoth should be buried with him.

Thus was the vengeance of Thoth fulfilled, but the Book remained with Nefer-ka-ptah.

Kenshin leaned against a building, surveying the milling crowd in the market and seeking relief from the already blistering sun in the shadows. He and Sanosuke had split up when they'd left the hotel in the hope that they'd be less noticeable. Sanosuke's height drew enough attention as it were, coupled with the brilliant red of Kenshin's hair and they were bound to be noticed by those they currently wanted to avoid. The morning was half over and he took another sweeping glance around the market, wondering if Sanosuke had had better luck. He hadn't had much success.

A second pass over the market brought his eyes to the tall, fighter and Kenshin sighed, pushing off the wall and waiting for Sanosuke's approach. The taller man grimaced, stepping into the welcoming shade and casting another quick glance around before speaking. “No luck?”

Kenshin's head tilted as he studied the market stalls. “No. Perhaps...”

His voice trailed off and his muscles tensed. Sanosuke immediately went on alert, following the direction of Kenshin's gaze. A small man wearing the traditional Jelabiya and Amamah was approaching from one of the nearby stall, grinning cheerfully. Kenshin returned the smile and the man seized Kenshin's hand and kissing first one cheek and then the another before turning and performing the same greeting with Sanosuke, much to the taller man's surprise. He turned back to Kenshin, still smiling. “Ah, I know you, Professor Kenshin.”

“Master Baniti, how are you? How is your wife?”

Greetings were exchanged for longer than Sansouke anticipated before the topic eventually moved away from domestics.

“You have news?”

Baniti nodded. “Yes, yes. I do not forget someone like you. It's been a few years, yes?”

“What can you tell me?”

Baniti continued to smile, dark eyes looking over the short red-head. “Ah, you are impatient. Years have taught you nothing?”

Kenshin laughed softly, acknowledging the truth of it. “We know the myths, that we do. We were told you know something of truths.”

He seemed to consider the two foreigners for a long moment before acceding. “Many people are curious about such a story.”

Sanosuke snorted, folding his arms and rolling his eyes. “This is ridiculous.”

Baniti's smile dropped and he frowned at the interruption. Kenshin shot his partner a warning look, but the Egyptian continued. “You seek the keys.”

“No, we seek a book,” Sanosuke interrupted.

The small Egyptian's eyes narrowed and he snapped, “Hush, bird-brain, you do not know what you seek.”

“You—”

Kenshin smoothly stepped between the two. “There is more than one key?”

Baniti nodded quickly. “Oh, yes. Thoth was careful about his book. It is dangerous.”

“I don't see how some stupid book can cause so much trouble.”

Before either could react, Baniti smacked Sanosuke on the head, scolding,  “Idiot! Have you never heard? Knowledge is power! How can you seek something you do not understand. It is foolhardy. Ignorance is just—”

“These keys. What are they?”

Baniti blinked, focusing back on Kenshin—with one last glare at Sanosuke—and shrugged. “I don't know.”

“A lot of good that does.”

A frown tugged at Baniti's lips, but he seemed determined to ignore Sanosuke and instead addressed Kenshin. “Your friend relies on brute strength.”

Sanosuke bristled. “Are you calling me stupid?”

Baniti said nothing, leaving Kenshin to frown disapprovingly. “Sano.”

He received a scowl in reply and Kenshin repressed a sigh and turned back to his informant. “Would you like a drink?”

Baniti immediately brightened, grinning widely and exclaiming, “So kind, sir! Come, come! I will show you a place.”

He hurried off, leaving them to follow at a slightly slower pace. By Sanosuke's expression, he was not pleased with the developments. They passed through a few streets before they reached a small, out of the way place. As they approached, Sanosuke finally muttered, “Are you sure about this?”

Kenshin gave him a confident nod, barely glancing up at the taller man. “He knows something, that he does. He will be of some help.”

The interior was dim and refreshingly cool and neither of them could hold back the sigh of relief. It was crowded and immediately they could feel eyes on them, observing everything about them. The conversation quieted until Baniti emerged from the closely pressed bodies and pulled Kenshin forward to a small table at the back of the room. “Here. Sit, sit. I will bring drinks.”

He hurried away again, returning a few minutes later with three porcelain teacups. Kenshin took a quiet sip before bringing the conversation back to their goal. “You mentioned keys.”

“Yes! Thoth was and created several keys. He scattered them across the world, placing them in places for safekeeping.”

Fingertips drummed against the sides of the teacup in thought. “Do you know how many keys there are?”

Baniti shrugged. “Several.”

“Several? How many is 'several'? Ten? Twenty?”

Kenshin pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. “Sano—”

“Less than ten,” was the declaration. Apparently Baniti was feeling more charitable.

“You don't know what they are?”

Another shrug. “All kinds of things. Objects, animals, people.”

Sanosuke stared, his expression flat. “People.”

“Yes, yes! Keys passed down through the generations. Very safe. No one knows. Everyone forget.”

Kenshin frowned into his teacup, watching the tealeaves shift as he turned his cup. They were coming up with more questions than answers. Perhaps they needed to acquire things in a different order. “Does the book still lie with Neferkaptah?”

Baniti sat back in his chair, releasing a soft hum. “Ah, you ask same question.”

That caught Kenshin's attention. “Someone else spoke to you?”

Dark eyes regarded the red-head quietly, no hint of thought showing in Baniti's expression. “The book has gotten very popular. The Mummy spiked interest.”

Now Sanosuke was interested. “The movie?”

Baniti scoffed derisively. “Yes! All wrong. The young man is foolish. He prowls around like a lion.”

Sanosuke rolled his eyes. “You're speaking in riddles, old man.”

Kenshin motioned for Sanosuke to keep quiet, leaning across the table and dropping his voice. He would've preferred somewhere quieter or at least more private, but that wasn't an option. “Who was the young man?”

The answer was slow in coming as Baniti took a slow look around the room before also dropping his voice, “Don't know. Never said. White hair, small glasses, short temper.”

Kenshin and Sanosuke tensed, exchanging looks. With a sigh, Kenshin dropped back in his seat, the name coming to his lips in a hushed whisper. “Enishi.”

Sanosuke grunted, “So it seems.”

Time passed in silence for several heartbeats before Kenshin rose to his feet. “We need to find Neferkaptah's tomb.”

Baniti reached for Kenshin's arm, tugging his slightly. “Wait, wait. Book is not in tomb now.”
“Not with Neferkaptah?”

He shook his head, tugging on Kenshin's arm more urgently and lowering his voice even more. “No, still with pharaoh, not in tomb.”

“It's not? Where is it?”

Baniti considered him for a moment. “Sacred place.”

“Where?”

Baniti threw his hands up. “Don't know!”

Sanosuke stood, draining the rest of his tea with a slight grimace and setting the cup down with a loud thump. “No choice, Kenshin. We might as well comb the used book stores.”

Kenshin nodded, reaching for his wallet and handing Baniti several bills discretely folded. “Thank you for your time, Master Baniti.”

Baniti grinned widely, clasping Kenshin's hand enthusiastically. “Any time! Thank you!”

Sanosuke and Kenshin quietly made their way through the crowded watering hole, Sanosuke grunting and pulling out a pair of sunglasses as they stepped back into the rising heat. A careful glance up and down the street revealed nothing suspicious and the taller man finally looked down at his partner. “You give too much.”

Kenshin shrugged easily, clearly lost in thought. “He's an old friend.”

Kenshin started down the street, Sanosuke falling into step beside him, grumbling, “We'll go broke paying all your 'old friends.'”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&
Tires hit the tarmac, jerking Kaoru awake. At some point during the flight, she'd finally managed to catch some sleep, not that it gave her a lot of rest. She still felt like a bus hit her. Misao grinned and reached over to snag the papers from the seat pocket, carefully stowing them away in the bag under her seat. Kaoru groaned, rubbing her eyes and letting her head fall back against the seat. “What time is it?”

Misao seemed to consider the question far longer than it warranted. “Here or at home?”

Kaoru frowned, not having enough energy to even summon up a glare. Misao laughed softly. “It's about four in the morning at home. About ten here.”

“I hate you,” Kaoru muttered, pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes.

“I know.”

Kaoru leaned forward to peer out the window. So far all she saw was the airport. “So, this is Egypt.”

Misao leaned forward to look as well, humming in agreement. “It is. When we get off we'll have to find Sano and Himura.”

“Do you know where to go?”

Misoa's brow drew down in thought. “No, but Okina will probably know we've arrived before even thought of getting on a plane.”

Surprise skittered across Kaoru's face as she turned to look at her friend. “Is he a Seer?”

Misao blinked, staring at her. “Okina? No, definitely not. Didn't you hear Tokio? There's usually only one Seer at a time. It's weird that you're one too.”

Kaoru fidgeted uncomfortably. “My father had always told me not to tell anyone. I'd thought that it was because people would think I was crazy.”

“Well, that too, but there are those that would hunt you down. Ah, here we are, get your bag. It's not smart to stay in one place for long.”

They had barely stepped off the jetway when Misao tensed and placed a hand  on Kaoru's arm, eyes narrowing and scanning the milling crowd of travelers. Kaoru swallowed, fighting back the darkness that closed in on her. She was too tired and Misao was throwing around her aura too much for her to handle. A sharp tug brought her back. “Come on, Kaoru, don't do that now. Block it.”

She swallowed, her eyes squinting as she focused on pushing the sensation back. “I'm trying. You're not making this easy. What's happening?”

Misao quickened her steps, dragging Kaoru behind her. Aqua eyes continued to scan the crowd. “Someone is searching for us.”

Once more, Kaoru's vision began to dim, her concentration faltering. “Us? Why? Who knows we're here?”

“It's hard to say. No one should know about you yet.”

“Then that means—”

“Traitor.”

The word was hissed with such loathing that it sent a shiver down Kaoru's spine. The young ninja seemed to dwell on the thought a moment before setting it aside. The press of bodies grew closer as they approached baggage claim and Misao wove her way around people, occasionally pushing when people refused to move, steadily making her way toward the doors. Suddenly, she stopped, causing Kaoru to run into her. A tall man blocked their path, shocking green eyes peering down at them over small, round sunglasses. Something was familiar about him but Kaoru was having trouble thinking straight, too much energy was pushing down on her. He smirked when Misao tensed, lazily sliding his eyes to meet Kaoru's. She stumbled back, her breath catching and the darkness that threatened the edge of her vision nearly overwhelming her. He returned a considering look to Misao, allowing Kaoru a moment to gather her wits.

“Well, you look familiar.”

He spoke with a lazy drawl, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. Kaoru heard a soft curse from Misao. “I'm afraid you have the wrong person.”

An eyebrow rose. “No, I don't believe I do. Now, the question is, who is your friend?”

Green eyes pierced Kaoru and she stumbled, putting her hands to her head and gasping. This was becoming too much for her to handle. Distantly she heard Misao speak and the man's laughing answer. Next Kaoru knew, Misao lunged to the side, yanking her behind. A tearing sound was heard and Misao cursed again. “Perpare yourself, Kaoru!”

A moment of clarity struck her and she gasped. “Wait! Give me a minute!”

“No time! Ready?”

Kaoru barely had time for a gasping breath before they were hurtling through darkness. The next instant they were crashing into a dusty street. Shouts and curses of surprise surrounded them and Kaoru reeled as a wave of dizziness hit her, but Misao was moving again, shoving through the close press of bodies.

“Misao, slow down.”

She glanced back, barely slowing her pace. “Sorry, can't. Somehow they've discovered something.”

“What?”

“I don't know! We've got to find Himura.”

Misao abruptly changed directions, slipping into a side street and dodging through alleys. They emerged on yet another busy street, vendors lining the sidewalks and people spilling into the street. Misao backpedaled, ducking into another side street and swearing colorfully. They paused at a corner to catch their breath while Misao apparently tried to find their bearings. “Why Kenshin?”

“Because I gather intelligence. I can't take on a whole syndicate!”

A shadow fell over them. “Who said anything about fighting the whole syndicate?”

Misao spun, knives appearing in her hands faster than Kaoru could blink. Kaoru retreated several steps, wishing she had a weapon, any kind of weapon. Yellow and black eyes stared down at them, a maniacal grin splitting his face. “Boss said a couple of pretty girls just arrived. I'm glad you came to me. It saves me the trouble of having to find you.”

Misao's hands came up, her blades shining in the sunlight. “Who the hell are you?”

Annoyance crept into his features. “No one you need to know, shadow girl. Now, hand over your friend and I might let you live.”

“I don't think so.”

The ring of steel cut through the air and a surreal sense of disbelief struck Kaoru. Who the hell still uses swords? Blades left Misao's hand, forcing the man to dodge and giving the young ninja a chance to pull out a small, round capsule. The swordsman froze, eyes narrowing on the small object in her hand. With a wicked grin, Misao threw it to the ground at her feet. The explosion nearly knocked Kaoru off her feet. Thick smoke filled the street. She heard the sound of metal on metal, a cry of pain, and then a hand closed on her arm. One last thought came to her before she lost consciousness: How the hell did Misao manage to get so many weapons on a plane?

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

AN redux: I would also like to apologize for the exceedingly long wait between chapters. Writing this has been like pulling teeth for me. Without the anesthesia. I originally had something else for this chapter... about 2000 words (or 3 pages) that I haven't fleshed out just yet, but I decided I needed to go a different route. I thought about including the original since I'm going to use it, but felt that nine pages was enough for now and I should stop. Yes, once again Kaoru is knocked out. The poor girl. I really need to address that issue. I also need to address her apparent "damsel in distress" issues going on right now. That's really annoying me. Anyway, I haven't really edited so some things may change, but not a whole lot.
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