Summary: When Yahiko summons Battousai, a powerful djinn, all he wants is revenge on Master Mage Shishio, by stealing the legendary Sword of Pai Mei but Yahiko's vendetta plunges everyone including Battousai and his best friend Kaoru into an adventure they had never thought possible. KK.

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me. Sure I kidnap the gang for my fics but that's about it.

The Mage and the Swordsman

Chapter 1: Beginnings

Somewhere in the halls of celestial beings, Heaven Level 2.0, a Benevolent Being sat staring into a pool with his faithful spirit hovering around. Looking into the pool, the being spoke.

"It is almost evening in Silver City, why isn't anything happening Pookha? The Maker is busy fixing the mess left by those careless mortals. I tell you Pookha, they should never have been made. Were there ever such nuisances as these foolish mortals? No! Nobody knew what nuisances they were, that's why they got made in the first place, and now we…what? We can't play Rant against Mortals anymore? Why ever not? It's so last season? But Pookha, that is my favorite game, right after Continent Crash, and Weather Wash. The other gods banned it, did they? The brigands! They are jealous of my prowess in Rant against Mortals Pookha, they cannot stand that the Maker gave me a feather in appreciation of my skill in the Rant. What shall we do now, Pookha?

We what? Have a job? But Pookha, I cannot do jobs. That is why I became a god, so I need not have a job and so I may play the Rant, and Continent Crash and Weather wash. Pookha, you break my heart. Well what is it? What? Story duty? But, why Pookha? Why must I have story duty? Can you not give it to Winding over there, or Lazaraleen?

Very well. I will tell a story. But, look Pookha! Something stirs in Silver City; some grave event is coming to pass even as we speak Pookha! Why else will a human child no higher than you, make its way to the dark streets of the Thieves' Market. Look Pookha! He begins to glance about, he is afraid of someone following him. Holy jackanapes Pookha! A mage! He is a mage. What peril brings a mage to this quagmire, quickly Pookha; we must not lose track of him…what? Story duty…by the Maker's finger Pookha here is our story.

An apprentice-mage scuttling to the Thieves Market with the final stroke of the evening bells, surely some intrigue, some mortal mischief is afoot. Swiftly Pookha, fetch me my opera glasses! What? You left them at the opera? Whatever for? I broke them on Winding's nose? Well the upstart deserved it…snoring even as Zephyretta was singing my favorite canto. No, I suppose you are right Pookha. We cannot all be perfect. Divinity itself is marred sometimes, but, look Pookha. Our little mage begins to panic.

Had Yahiko heard the Benevolent being call him 'little mage', he would have bristled without doubt, however since Yahiko is a mage, thus human, and not even a proper mage at that, a mere apprentice, there is precious little he can do about the adjectives a certain celestial being chooses to use for him.

He stood at the corner of a dingy, dark and extremely suspicious looking curb in the Thieves Market. He had lied to his master and told him he was going watch the movement of the stars to update his lunar charts. His heart was thumping inside his shirt and he frantically looked right and left for a sign, a signal that his contact was here, or would be coming soon.

The cold was nipping into his shoes, by Merlin's beard he had never been this cold. He had been told that Iceman would be here with his merchandise. How long was he supposed to wait? His master would realize he had been gone too long and then the game would be up! Where, oh where was he? It was too late, too cold and too dark in this place. Yahiko started as a hand found its way to his shoulder. Before he cast a spell of protection, he realized his contact had arrived.

Yahiko turned to face him. He looked up and found his gaze moving higher, and higher, (goodness gracious, how tall was he?) till he met a pair of ice blue eyes covered by jet black bangs of hair. The man was looking irritably at him. He cocked his head to one side and leaned back on the wall behind him. "You're the mage?" The disbelief and contempt in the voice was unmistakable. Yahiko threw his chin out, "yes, why is that so surprising, I'd like my things please, you have made me wait too long, I've been here for ages."

The man refused to move. He ignored his outstretched hand and continued to study his face. Yahiko felt nervous, his palms were sweaty and his collar was wet. Finally, after what seemed an hour, the man pushed himself off the wall and stood directly in front of him. He calmly pulled out a package from his coat pocket and handed it to Yahiko.

Yahiko eagerly checked the contents. "Are you sure this is it? The final incantation?"

"Yeah, this is it. Although what a pipsqueak like you is doing with it is beyond me. You ought to be flogged for meddling in such spells. Not only are you going to sink in trouble too big for your boots, I suspect your poor master will meet a worse fate. A kid shouldn't be messing with djinns; no matter how cool it sounds."

Yahiko felt rage as he had never before. His hand quivered and he glared at the man who stood before him. "I am not a child. I could level you and this entire block in one go if I so choose. You don't know the first thing about me, you incompetent fool!"

"Excuse me? Incompetent?" Iceman raised his eyebrows.

"Yes! Incompetent! You were supposed to be here at seven thirty sharp; instead you amble in at seven forty three, and expect me to consider your substandard service as competent? You have got to be the worst transporter I've ever seen! I don't understand where you got such a high-and-mighty reputation. You are so completely pathetic, you, you big lug!" Yahiko sputtered. His pitch and volume kept rising as he heaped insults on his contact.

The man's face did not change. In fact he hardly batted an eyelid. He simply kept staring at Yahiko. After what seemed a lifetime, he leaned forward and spoke, "I thought you were in a hurry. Get out of here before the real lowlifes decide to put in an appearance. A spindly apprentice-mage is just the kind of thing to make a Friday night seem lively," Iceman strolled away from the Fury standing on the curb, "unless you've forgotten, mages aren't welcome in Thief Market. Take your pampered rear back to Silver City, where you belong".

"I have no intention of remaining here. But before I go, I shall need your word."

"My word? For what?"

"When I have need of you, you shall come to me"

"Why, certainly Master, I live only to answer to you – have you lost your mind? Be thankful, I got you what you wanted without getting unpleasant and asking uncomfortable questions like 'does your master know'. Now go, get out of my face. I've had about enough mage I can stand for one day. Get lost." Iceman started to walk away.

"Stop! You must do as I say!" Yahiko called after him.

"See now here's where you make the mistake. You're confusing me with those pitiful sprites of yours that fly around doing your bidding. I answer to no one, get that in your thick skull before I play basketball with your head."

"You will answer to me…Aoshi". Yahiko calmly spoke the man's true name. Aoshi froze. He turned around and stared at him. His rage was evident in the way his fist clenched and his facial muscles tightened. He bit his lip and nodding his consent spoke in a terse tone, "how did you know?"

"I am a true mage Aoshi. It is my business to know." With that not-so-subtle barb the young boy briskly walked away, back the way he had come from, to the north where brilliant lights proclaimed the presence of a glittering city. Silver City – city of mages. This was the seat of governance where mages sat and ruled the rest of the land. The air hummed with magic and the throbbing caused by the clash of a thousand ki signatures. The djinn, sprites and faeries that were in the service of the various mages of Silver City remained alert and awake at all times. Their masters were impatient, insatiable beings. The punishment meted out for carelessness ensured that disobedience and negligence was the last thing that entered their heads.

I am a true mage. The power of a mage rose from his knowledge of the magical world and its entities. Within himself, a mage has no power. His power is derived from the djinn and sprites bound to his service. Servants are made through knowledge, Knowledge of the true name of things. The true name of a sprite or djinn gives the mage power over them. In this manner, the mage curbs the freedom of the djinn and bends him to his will, even though the djinn may be ten times as powerful, he can do no harm to the mage.

Only the more powerful and learned mages can afford to rein in djinns, the others make do with sprites and imps and faeries. Some mages even have to survive by commanding pixies. However, Yahiko had other plans. Finally, the struggle of years' worth of work would come fruitful that night. He would attain that which is impossible. That which had not been attempted by any mage in a hundred years would come to pass tonight.

He was ready. Ready to eke his revenge. Ready to show Silver City what he was worth. Ready to ground Shishio Makoto to dust. He was Yahiko and tonight he was going to conjure the greatest and most powerful djinn that ever walked the Eastern world. His task was such that it required a djinn of tremendous and invincible power.

He had spent years poring over his master's books, looking, searching for this being. And he had found him two years ago, ever since he had been involved in a maddening search for his name, and tonight he had it. Yahiko reached his master's house; he sneaked in without alerting him. He quietly ran up the stairs to the attic, one part of the house where his master would never venture.

Yahiko ran to the centre of the room, he pushed the table and rickety old bed to the sides of the room. Looking at the floor once again, he set down to work. First he drew a large circle, whose diameter was five feet; he repeated this action, drawing another circle touching the first one below it. Inside each circle he quickly drew a pentacle, double edging them, and including runes of containment in one and runes of protection in the other. In the centre point of the pentacle, he placed a purple crystal to bind the energies.

Checking the pentacles one last time, the young mage quickly lit four large candles placing them in the four directions, north, south, east and west. The incense sticks were lit and kept before each candle. Yahiko checked his bearings once more. Circles complete, steady and lines thick. Pentacles complete, no jagged edges or gaps. Candles check. Incense check. Perfect.

Time to rock and roll.

Yahiko stood in the centre of the northern pentacle. He touched the crystal once, then straightened and began to chant. He called upon the guardians of the wind, the earth, the fire and water to hear his plea and drive out the djinn that he called.

"Hear me, ye lords of earth, of water, of fire, and of wind,

By the mandrake root, and hellebore shoot,

By the runes of silver and Artemis' quiver,

I proclaim my mastery over one whom you harbor,

Send him forth by the force of his name,

Send him lest the heavens fall, dare he refuse.

Send him, I charge thee, to the keeper of his name,

Come forth now, I charge thee,

Battousai, Battousai, Battousai.

Come forth…Kenshin.

Exhausted, Yahiko swayed, yet never faltered, he glued his feet inside the pentacle. The pentacle was protected by his seal, stepping out would mean certain death. The djinn he had called had not been woken in more than a hundred years. To be so rudely awakened would naturally put him in a foul temper. Added to this fact was that the Battousai was among the most feared djinns he had ever heard of.

Yahiko was woken from his reverie by a giant cloud forming above the crystal in the circle opposite his. The cloud grew larger, and the force of the winds swirling in it blew all the candles out. The pitch black of the attic took over as the wind slowly ebbed. Yahiko could see nothing, hear nothing, and feel nothing. Yet he did not dare even move a muscle lest he make a mistake and step out of his pentacle.

He tore his eyes away from his boots and forced himself to look up at the being he had sent for. Two molten, amber eyes stared at him, boring deep into him. The eyes seemed to slash away at his mental shields and invade his mind. Nervously he pushed that alien presence out of his head and remembered what he had set out to do. He looked away from the djinn's eyes to stare at his face and gasped. The djinn was the most beautiful, striking individual he had ever laid eyes on. His angled features, molten eyes, blood red hair combined with his lean frame and cocky stance were captivating. In spite of himself, he slowly reached forward, to touch its face, just to make sure it was real.

Thankfully for him, the djinn chose that moment to smirk, pulling his lips into a feral smile. Predatory. Yahiko came to senses with a jolt. A single step wrong and the djinn would gladly finish him off. His pentacle was the only thing that saved him since it bound their energies to its perimeter. He pulled himself together and spoke, with what he hoped was a majestic air.

"Djinn! I have called you to fulfill my heart's desire. You are charged with carrying out my will, no matter where it may take thee, and you are charged to…." Yahiko trailed off as the djinn first began to shake and then chuckle and finally throw its head back and laugh. The djinn laughed uproariously, it held its sides and bent over, still laughing.

Yahiko sputtered. "What are you laughing at? Djinn! I command thee to be silent…I command thee…." He lost his voice again as the djinn stopped laughing and instead fixed his eyes upon Yahiko.

"Oh please…don't let me stop that little…performance of yours, by all means continue, I had forgotten how utterly comical you humans are. Thank you so much for refreshing my memory." His voice was like velvet, smooth and rich.

Things weren't going as planned. The djinn wasn't supposed to be talking except for saying "yes, master". Yahiko frowned. "Djinn! Be silent and hear my command. You are to follow my orders from hence forward and why are you laughing again?"

"Alright Shorty, where's your master? Where is he? The one who forced you into this circle and had you chant the incantation that called me out. You do realize that you are about to die, don't you? I don't want to keep explaining that. Where is he?"

"I have no master…I mean my master did not send for you. I did. I discovered your true name. I called out the incantation. I am your master. You must answer to me you must!"

"You expect me to believe that a child like you managed to summon me? Why are you shielding him? Summoning me is equivalent to tossing you to the lions. Tell me where he is, and I will make this easy for the both of us."

"Stop! I called you. Do you hear! You will obey my commands or you will perish! You are my djinn and I have summoned you. Now listen to my will and fulfill it, you must, you are bound by your name to obey me." Yahiko noted with satisfaction that the djinn had stopped smiling, there was no trace of levity left, the scales were tipped. The power of the djinn's name gave the young mage the right to order him to any task.

Battousai cocked his head to one side and studied the young boy standing in front him. There had to be someone else. No doubt about that. For what child, would dare wake him to summon him to do his bidding. There was nothing else for it; he had to see what the game was. He was bound to service by his name and he could do nothing about it. Fine, he would play along, do what he wanted and then punish the rat that made a mere child do his dirty work.

"Fine, what do you want? Hurry up and get it over with. I have better things to do than baby-sit you."

Yahiko drew himself out to his full height. This was it, the moment of truth. The moment he had been waiting for four years. It was here finally, nothing would go wrong, nothing could.

"Djinn! I charge thee to go to the house of Shishio Makoto and bring me the Sword of Pai Mei from there to do with it what I see fit."

Author's Notes:

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