I do not own any of these characters though I did give Tokio a personality I preferred! Please enjoy!
The Clashing of Worlds
Chapter 1: A little help leads to...
Snow whirled around, creating dancing snow faires and little eddies. The trees coated in a powdery, sugary white snow with a frozen river in the background, the dusk light reflecting off the ice and snow, making diamonds and crystals.
It was such a romantic scene...
Of course, it would have been BETTER if---
"I wasn't alone." Tokio mumbled. She sighed.
It's been quite some time since she and her husband Saito actually been together for a single night. He always comes home late...very late, in fact.
Once she tried to stay awake and she did. For a very long time, she stayed awake, but nodded off to sleep with her head resting on the table near her paperwork. And when she awoke in the morning, she found herself tucked in bed--no Saito around, but she knew he had been there. He comes home late at night and leaves early in the morning.
"I'm surprised I haven't forgotten what he looked like! It's been so long since I've seen him!" Tokio frowned sadly, impatience running through her.
The snow was dying down...maybe...just maybe...she could go visit him at the police station. Or maybe she'd run into him on the way there. She smiled at the thought of him. She made up her mind.
She combed and fixed her hair, twisting her hair in bun and letting it be held by cherrywood hair-sticks. She changed into a beige kimono, the moderately long sleeves decorated with red maple leaves. She tied a red obi around her waist and made her way out the door.
"If he won't see me, then I'll go see him." Tokio thought to herself as she stared at the slowly setting sun. "Seriously! We're married, we should at least see each other!"
As Tokio made her way toward the police station that was quite a distance away, she was oblivious that a small group of men were staring at her with dirty grins on their faces. They stepped out of the corners, keeping their eyes on her.
************************
Kenshin smiled, watching Sazume and Ayane laugh and enjoy the snow.
"It's so light and cool, Uncle Kenny! See?" Ayane held out a handful of snow to him, blowing it hard and letting the snowflakes fly and stick to Kenshin's pants.
"Yeah, it so light and cool!" Sazume echoed after Ayane, giggling.
"Now as long as you stay warm, you can play in the snow, but we have to get the tofu back to Miss. Kaoru, that we do." Kenshin remarked, patting Sazume's head.
Ayane and Sazume walked ahead, kicking the snow here and there. The little girls disappeared behind the corner of the house. Kenshin walked a bit faster to catch up with them, his feet jogging along the snow-covered road and as he turned a corner...
"Oof!" Kenshin crashed into someone. He stumbled back, his eyes on the tofu as he let himself fall on his back and balancing the tofu bucket on his chest.
Kenshin let out a sigh of relief. He quickly remembered the infortunate person he crashed into. He sat up and saw a woman in a pretty kimono decorated with red maple leaves.
"I'm sorry, Miss. Are you all right?" Kenshin quickly stood up and held out one hand to the woman.
"Oh, yes, I'm fine. It was my fault, I apologize," the woman took his hand and Kenshin pulled her up. She dusted the snow off her kimono.
"No, it was my fault," Kenshin smiled with embarrassment. "I wasn't looking where I was going.
"I was lost in thought," the woman remarked, smiling. "I guess we're both guilty."
Kenshin nodded, "You're not hurt, are you?"
"Oh, no. The snow must have cushioned my fall." the woman remarked with a smile.
"Uncle Kenny, come on! We're hungry!" Ayane called out.
The woman smiled at the little girls that were up ahead of the young man.
"I should to be going, it's almost dark." the woman said, she bowed politely. "Have a good evening, sir."
"You, too, Miss." Kenshin bowed back politely.
The woman walked away and disappeared behind the corner.
Kenshin walked on, but was knocked back when someone's shoulder rammed into him. Kenshin looked up and saw a man glare down at him.
"Better watch it!" he said.
"Yeah! You blind or something?" another sneered.
Kenshin frowned at the four men before him.
"Sorry." Kenshin said, not really meaning it as he walked around them.
"I say we should teach him a lesson---" Kenshin heard of of them say.
"No. Hey, we're losing her! C'mon!" another cut him off.
Kenshin stopped in his tracks when he heard that.
"Hurry up! She's getting outta sight!" one said and they hurried off. Kenshin spun around, glaring now. He saw the four men disappear behind the corner.
"That woman..." Kenshin thought with concern.
"Hey, Kenshin!! You got tofu there? The little missy is waiting for you! She sent me to go scoutin' for you." Sanosuke's voice was heard. Kenshin turned around and saw Ayane and Sazume run over to Sano who was nearby.
"Some ugly, mean men pushed Kenshin!" Ayane remarked.
"Yeah! Ugly, mean men!" Sazume mirrored.
"Really? Heh, hey, Kenshin, what do you say about cleaning those guys up?" Sanosuke cracked his knuckles. "Whadda'ya say---?" Sanosuke was interrupted.
"I think someone's in danger." Kenshin handed Sanosuke the bucket of tofu.
"Who?" Sanosuke asked, serious now.
"A woman."
"A lady, huh? You take Ayane and Sazume home. Let me take care of it," Sanosuke handed the bucket back to Kenshin. "I need a work-out anyway---don't want my fists to get rusty."
"Are you sure?" Kenshin frowned in worry.
"Stop worrying for nothing. Take care of a couple of punks and I'll come by the dojo and eat with the rest of ya!" Sanosuke waved him off.
Kenshin nodded, he gently pushed Ayane and Sazume along.
"Come back, Uncle Sano!" Ayane exclaimed. "Auntie Megumi will be sad if you don't!"
"Heh! I knew she had the hots for me!" Sanosuke smiled cockily and ran off.
"What does "the hots" mean?" Sazume asked Kenshin.
"Eh...no need to learn Sano's slang." Kenshin remarked with a sweat-drop.
************
Tokio glared at the men that stood before her.
"Ya think you'd like to come keep us company for the night?" the tallest one asked.
"We'd make it a night to remember." one of them sniggered.
"I'd rather not. I have to wake up early tomorrow. Please get out of my way." Tokio responded, glaring. "Now." she added.
"Ooo, she's fiesty." the shortest one remarked lustily.
"We'd like to get to know you better---come with us." one of the men made a grab for her, but she stepped back.
Tokio didn't know whether to run or kick them where it hurt. She knew she couldn't out run four men dressed as she was now...before she knew it, one of them grabbed her wrist.
"C'mon, don't make trouble." the shadows made the man's face more sinister.
She inwardly gasped, but then on reflex, she back-slapped him, making his stagger to the side.
"You bi---!!" the man cursed but his head crashed against a tree.
Another man made a grab for her, cursing at her. Tokio got out of the way, pressing herself against the wall as he stumbled past her. But then one of the men pinned her against the wall, her arms useless.
"You wanna play rough, huh? ..." he growled, squeezing her wrists so hard she yelped.
Tokio paniced, but she said, "Your breath stinks!" She raised her foot and kicked him in the shin, then slammed her heel down on his foot. His grip loosened and she shoved him back.
But his weight was too much. She staggered to the side, away from the wall. She shoulder ran into someone's chest.
"Another one!?" Tokio thought in panic. She elbowed that guy in the face.
"Owww!" Sanosuke staggered back, clutching his cheek. "Whatcha' do that for?!"
Tokio stared at him. He didn't really look like a hoodlum or anything but she didn't have time when an angry blow came down on her shoulder. Someone hit her from behind.
She gasped in pain as she fell into the snow, her face feeling the bitter cold of snow. She was sprawled in the snow, dazed.
Sanosuke glared swords, daggers and every pointy object at the man that hit the woman. He glared hard enough to make the snow melt.
"Don't treat ladies like that!!" Sanosuke growled, hitting the man in the face.
Tokio just stared at the dull gray wall, unable to move as she heard the screams of the men that assaulted her. She knew she was slowly falling unconscious when her eyelids drooped.
"Hey...hey, are you all right?" Sanosuke asked the woman. His brown eyes now very concerned. "That was pretty hard
"I can't...sleep now..." she thought. She forced herself.
Tokio pushed half-herself up with her right arm, her left arm felt numb and her wrist felt bruised. Her arm couldn't withstand her whole weight, despite her being slender.
"I feel so weak..." Tokio thought.
Her arm buckled under her weight and she collapsed back toward the ground. She was falling in darkness of sleep.
"Hey, I'm going take you to the little missy and fox...they'll help you..." the man's voice floated.
Tokio stared at the white snow...she was lifted up in the man's arms. She looked at him and his wild hair. Her eyes were half-covered by her eye-lids.
"But...." Tokio murmured weakly.
"Just hold on! Don't go passing out on me!" Sanosuke began to run to the dojo, holding onto the half-fainted woman. She was so light and slender that it was almost easy for Sano.
"...but..." she murmured as she stared at the sky that was softly letting snowflakes down on the earth. "...I need..."
Sanosuke could hardly hear her, "What do you need?" he just wanted her to keep awake.
"..to see....Sai..to.." she whispered. Her head lolled to the side. Sanosuke stopped dead in his tracks, he made skid marks in the road. He stared at the unconscious woman, wide-eyed and blinking.
"Did she say what I THOUGHT she said?!" Sanosuke turned slightly blue.
"..to see...Sai..to.."
That replayed in his head. He stared at her, her ivory skin and dark hair. Was this woman....Did this woman...know..SAITO?! The SAITO he knew!? Sanosuke shifted the woman in his arms. Her left arm was on her chest since it was damaged. He saw a ring on the left hand ring finger...
This woman...
is...
Saito's...
WIFE!
Sanosuke became wide-eyed, turning chalky white and blue.
What was bad was that the woman was hurt, unconscious and if Sanosuke knew Saito as well as he did...
"Oh, crap," Sanosuke thought as he forced himself to stiffly run to the Kamiya Dojo that was up ahead. "When I tell Saito what happened to his WIFE....I'm screwed!!!"
Sanosuke practically kicked the dojo door open.
"MEGUMI!! GET OVER HERE!!! NOW!!!" Sanosuke yelled. "EMERGENCY!!"
~~I'll continue as soon as possible. What do you think? Please review!~~ ^^
The Clashing of Worlds
Chapter 1: A little help leads to...
Snow whirled around, creating dancing snow faires and little eddies. The trees coated in a powdery, sugary white snow with a frozen river in the background, the dusk light reflecting off the ice and snow, making diamonds and crystals.
It was such a romantic scene...
Of course, it would have been BETTER if---
"I wasn't alone." Tokio mumbled. She sighed.
It's been quite some time since she and her husband Saito actually been together for a single night. He always comes home late...very late, in fact.
Once she tried to stay awake and she did. For a very long time, she stayed awake, but nodded off to sleep with her head resting on the table near her paperwork. And when she awoke in the morning, she found herself tucked in bed--no Saito around, but she knew he had been there. He comes home late at night and leaves early in the morning.
"I'm surprised I haven't forgotten what he looked like! It's been so long since I've seen him!" Tokio frowned sadly, impatience running through her.
The snow was dying down...maybe...just maybe...she could go visit him at the police station. Or maybe she'd run into him on the way there. She smiled at the thought of him. She made up her mind.
She combed and fixed her hair, twisting her hair in bun and letting it be held by cherrywood hair-sticks. She changed into a beige kimono, the moderately long sleeves decorated with red maple leaves. She tied a red obi around her waist and made her way out the door.
"If he won't see me, then I'll go see him." Tokio thought to herself as she stared at the slowly setting sun. "Seriously! We're married, we should at least see each other!"
As Tokio made her way toward the police station that was quite a distance away, she was oblivious that a small group of men were staring at her with dirty grins on their faces. They stepped out of the corners, keeping their eyes on her.
************************
Kenshin smiled, watching Sazume and Ayane laugh and enjoy the snow.
"It's so light and cool, Uncle Kenny! See?" Ayane held out a handful of snow to him, blowing it hard and letting the snowflakes fly and stick to Kenshin's pants.
"Yeah, it so light and cool!" Sazume echoed after Ayane, giggling.
"Now as long as you stay warm, you can play in the snow, but we have to get the tofu back to Miss. Kaoru, that we do." Kenshin remarked, patting Sazume's head.
Ayane and Sazume walked ahead, kicking the snow here and there. The little girls disappeared behind the corner of the house. Kenshin walked a bit faster to catch up with them, his feet jogging along the snow-covered road and as he turned a corner...
"Oof!" Kenshin crashed into someone. He stumbled back, his eyes on the tofu as he let himself fall on his back and balancing the tofu bucket on his chest.
Kenshin let out a sigh of relief. He quickly remembered the infortunate person he crashed into. He sat up and saw a woman in a pretty kimono decorated with red maple leaves.
"I'm sorry, Miss. Are you all right?" Kenshin quickly stood up and held out one hand to the woman.
"Oh, yes, I'm fine. It was my fault, I apologize," the woman took his hand and Kenshin pulled her up. She dusted the snow off her kimono.
"No, it was my fault," Kenshin smiled with embarrassment. "I wasn't looking where I was going.
"I was lost in thought," the woman remarked, smiling. "I guess we're both guilty."
Kenshin nodded, "You're not hurt, are you?"
"Oh, no. The snow must have cushioned my fall." the woman remarked with a smile.
"Uncle Kenny, come on! We're hungry!" Ayane called out.
The woman smiled at the little girls that were up ahead of the young man.
"I should to be going, it's almost dark." the woman said, she bowed politely. "Have a good evening, sir."
"You, too, Miss." Kenshin bowed back politely.
The woman walked away and disappeared behind the corner.
Kenshin walked on, but was knocked back when someone's shoulder rammed into him. Kenshin looked up and saw a man glare down at him.
"Better watch it!" he said.
"Yeah! You blind or something?" another sneered.
Kenshin frowned at the four men before him.
"Sorry." Kenshin said, not really meaning it as he walked around them.
"I say we should teach him a lesson---" Kenshin heard of of them say.
"No. Hey, we're losing her! C'mon!" another cut him off.
Kenshin stopped in his tracks when he heard that.
"Hurry up! She's getting outta sight!" one said and they hurried off. Kenshin spun around, glaring now. He saw the four men disappear behind the corner.
"That woman..." Kenshin thought with concern.
"Hey, Kenshin!! You got tofu there? The little missy is waiting for you! She sent me to go scoutin' for you." Sanosuke's voice was heard. Kenshin turned around and saw Ayane and Sazume run over to Sano who was nearby.
"Some ugly, mean men pushed Kenshin!" Ayane remarked.
"Yeah! Ugly, mean men!" Sazume mirrored.
"Really? Heh, hey, Kenshin, what do you say about cleaning those guys up?" Sanosuke cracked his knuckles. "Whadda'ya say---?" Sanosuke was interrupted.
"I think someone's in danger." Kenshin handed Sanosuke the bucket of tofu.
"Who?" Sanosuke asked, serious now.
"A woman."
"A lady, huh? You take Ayane and Sazume home. Let me take care of it," Sanosuke handed the bucket back to Kenshin. "I need a work-out anyway---don't want my fists to get rusty."
"Are you sure?" Kenshin frowned in worry.
"Stop worrying for nothing. Take care of a couple of punks and I'll come by the dojo and eat with the rest of ya!" Sanosuke waved him off.
Kenshin nodded, he gently pushed Ayane and Sazume along.
"Come back, Uncle Sano!" Ayane exclaimed. "Auntie Megumi will be sad if you don't!"
"Heh! I knew she had the hots for me!" Sanosuke smiled cockily and ran off.
"What does "the hots" mean?" Sazume asked Kenshin.
"Eh...no need to learn Sano's slang." Kenshin remarked with a sweat-drop.
************
Tokio glared at the men that stood before her.
"Ya think you'd like to come keep us company for the night?" the tallest one asked.
"We'd make it a night to remember." one of them sniggered.
"I'd rather not. I have to wake up early tomorrow. Please get out of my way." Tokio responded, glaring. "Now." she added.
"Ooo, she's fiesty." the shortest one remarked lustily.
"We'd like to get to know you better---come with us." one of the men made a grab for her, but she stepped back.
Tokio didn't know whether to run or kick them where it hurt. She knew she couldn't out run four men dressed as she was now...before she knew it, one of them grabbed her wrist.
"C'mon, don't make trouble." the shadows made the man's face more sinister.
She inwardly gasped, but then on reflex, she back-slapped him, making his stagger to the side.
"You bi---!!" the man cursed but his head crashed against a tree.
Another man made a grab for her, cursing at her. Tokio got out of the way, pressing herself against the wall as he stumbled past her. But then one of the men pinned her against the wall, her arms useless.
"You wanna play rough, huh? ..." he growled, squeezing her wrists so hard she yelped.
Tokio paniced, but she said, "Your breath stinks!" She raised her foot and kicked him in the shin, then slammed her heel down on his foot. His grip loosened and she shoved him back.
But his weight was too much. She staggered to the side, away from the wall. She shoulder ran into someone's chest.
"Another one!?" Tokio thought in panic. She elbowed that guy in the face.
"Owww!" Sanosuke staggered back, clutching his cheek. "Whatcha' do that for?!"
Tokio stared at him. He didn't really look like a hoodlum or anything but she didn't have time when an angry blow came down on her shoulder. Someone hit her from behind.
She gasped in pain as she fell into the snow, her face feeling the bitter cold of snow. She was sprawled in the snow, dazed.
Sanosuke glared swords, daggers and every pointy object at the man that hit the woman. He glared hard enough to make the snow melt.
"Don't treat ladies like that!!" Sanosuke growled, hitting the man in the face.
Tokio just stared at the dull gray wall, unable to move as she heard the screams of the men that assaulted her. She knew she was slowly falling unconscious when her eyelids drooped.
"Hey...hey, are you all right?" Sanosuke asked the woman. His brown eyes now very concerned. "That was pretty hard
"I can't...sleep now..." she thought. She forced herself.
Tokio pushed half-herself up with her right arm, her left arm felt numb and her wrist felt bruised. Her arm couldn't withstand her whole weight, despite her being slender.
"I feel so weak..." Tokio thought.
Her arm buckled under her weight and she collapsed back toward the ground. She was falling in darkness of sleep.
"Hey, I'm going take you to the little missy and fox...they'll help you..." the man's voice floated.
Tokio stared at the white snow...she was lifted up in the man's arms. She looked at him and his wild hair. Her eyes were half-covered by her eye-lids.
"But...." Tokio murmured weakly.
"Just hold on! Don't go passing out on me!" Sanosuke began to run to the dojo, holding onto the half-fainted woman. She was so light and slender that it was almost easy for Sano.
"...but..." she murmured as she stared at the sky that was softly letting snowflakes down on the earth. "...I need..."
Sanosuke could hardly hear her, "What do you need?" he just wanted her to keep awake.
"..to see....Sai..to.." she whispered. Her head lolled to the side. Sanosuke stopped dead in his tracks, he made skid marks in the road. He stared at the unconscious woman, wide-eyed and blinking.
"Did she say what I THOUGHT she said?!" Sanosuke turned slightly blue.
"..to see...Sai..to.."
That replayed in his head. He stared at her, her ivory skin and dark hair. Was this woman....Did this woman...know..SAITO?! The SAITO he knew!? Sanosuke shifted the woman in his arms. Her left arm was on her chest since it was damaged. He saw a ring on the left hand ring finger...
This woman...
is...
Saito's...
WIFE!
Sanosuke became wide-eyed, turning chalky white and blue.
What was bad was that the woman was hurt, unconscious and if Sanosuke knew Saito as well as he did...
"Oh, crap," Sanosuke thought as he forced himself to stiffly run to the Kamiya Dojo that was up ahead. "When I tell Saito what happened to his WIFE....I'm screwed!!!"
Sanosuke practically kicked the dojo door open.
"MEGUMI!! GET OVER HERE!!! NOW!!!" Sanosuke yelled. "EMERGENCY!!"
~~I'll continue as soon as possible. What do you think? Please review!~~ ^^