Act VII. Last Words of War

Kaoru couldn’t believe that it could happen, but it did. Kenshin had been captured and taken to a ‘healer’. She wanted to go see him, but she knew that was a bad idea. She was safe for the moment, but who knew how long this ‘Lord” would take pity on her.

“I will be down shortly, make sure he getting the proper care for now. Now take your leave,” the Lord commanded, the guard left not surprised at the scene at all.

“You still haven’t told me what it is you want from him,” Kaoru said still crying in his arms, “maybe I can help you get it, and maybe you’ll let us go.”

“Unlikely, since what I want to know is something he doesn’t know he knows. It’s something that would spark a fire at the base of that impenetrable wall around his mind. A secret that he should never have learned of,” the Lord said quietly. Kaoru let go of him then went and screamed into a nearby pillow. He stood there quietly, trying to understand her plan…

“You should go, it would be better if you tried and failed first,” Kaoru whimpered.

“Don’t go anywhere near Himura, it isn’t safe for you or him. He’s in critical condition and requires a lot of rest. You!” she shouted at the man in crimson cloaks, a golden eye opened with annoyance, “you should be dead after what you did! You’re traitor to your race!” He stood up and opened his other eye, and glared at her.

“So sue me, I set a trap, almost killed the Battosai, and kidnapped his friends… Big whoop! You’ve done worse!” he said un-amused, the girl’s hair stood on end.

“So it’s not like I just tried to kill my own cousin!” the girl stomped off in a rage. Guards followed her down the stairs, with the strange lord following after her.

“It’s not like you have a cousin Mia,” he pointed out, she turned around and slapped him.

“That was not my choice, blasted military,” Mia cursed walking off. The Lord turned up the stairs to look at us.

“Are you coming? I thought you wanted to see the Battosai?” he said in his mocking tone. Kaoru followed him this time he went down the stairs. Though she was unsure why he would take her. The lord of the castle was Kenshin’s cousin? She followed silently as he lead her directly to the place where Kenshin was.

“Is that?” she asked not daring to get her hopes up.

“Yes, but you will not be going in. This a private matter that you shouldn’t get yourself involved in if you want to live,” he said in a kind tone. He went inside and shut the door tightly behind him. Mia appeared soon after watching Kaoru closely.

“You are not one of us are you?” she finally asked.

“I don’t get it, why does he order his guards to kill Kenshin if he wants something from him?” Kaoru asked her. Mia looked at her with amusement.

“You haven’t a clue have you? The Battosai is one of us, he lived on the outside, but he is still a guardian despite how much he tries to hide it,” she replied. Mia started messing with her silky hair, “Hittocere will not let him live, not after this. You might be spared, but the Himuras will fall. Fuyu is dead, Aki is being hunted down as we speak.”

“Why?” was all Kaoru could manage to say, “why would someone hurt them? They haven’t done anything except try to help people using their talents!” Kaoru was nearly screaming, but she heard some faint yelling from the door.

“You worthless idiot, I told you years ago that I would not tolerate your mistakes,” the lord was yelling, he was really pissed. Kaoru felt Mia tug on her sleeve.

“That’s why in some aspects, the Lord’s word is law,” Mia stared at her, “Hittocere is our leader and the Himuras went against orders. As you heard mistakes are not tolerated, and letting that Himura live was a mistake. That other woman Tomoe, she married into the Himura family, so she was slaughtered. There is always a reason for everything, so if you give him no reason to dislike you…” Kaoru could read between the lines of her statement, as long as she stayed out of this Civil War of relatives she was safe. She didn’t have any idea of what she was going to have to do though…That’s when Kaoru felt something hit her hard in the head, she blacked out.

“You should have known better than to reject my request, now your friends will pay the price. That girl, she’s first,” he said gold eyes unwavering from the Battosai’s face.

“You leave her out of this Hittocere! She has nothing—” he was about to say something when Mia walked in dragging Kaoru by the hair. The Battosai immediately went to look at her. She was fine except for the lump on her head, she had a little blood on the corner of her mouth as she was carelessly drop to the floor by a different woman.

“I’ve had enough of this, you are to finish this woman off, and then we take care of the other three,” the silver haired Lord replied. He tossed him a Katana, then waited for the Battosai’s response. That was not his smartest idea, but it was an idea.

“Enough of this,” the Battosai lowered into a stance. Hittocere looked at him, he looked right back. Hittocere looked straight into his eyes, “I will die before I…”

“That would be something, to die that is… you see that is something that you cannot do,” Hittocere nearly laughed.

“Your body’s will is to live, and to forget that is to forget your purpose. You are a guardian of life Battosai, you have always known that,” Mia said, she grabbed the sword from him and tossed it back to Hittocere.

“To die is to live, to live is to die. Life is a gift and death comes with it, an on going circle that is endless,” Hittocere said softly unsheathing the sword.

“Death is nothing to living in a nightmarish void,” Mia chanted and sang, “it is merely a quick solution used by many to rid themselves of what they think is causing them pain. In theory, but in reality which we live in we know that to be false.”

“Now she begins the cycle anew, without the interference of a murderer. Without the interference of my delinquent cousin that calls himself a wanderer,” Hittocere raised the blade, “You will learn the truth only in the end of your own life, despite how bad people try.” Hittocere swung the blade down through Kaoru’s back there was a scream of pain that faded into the dark for the Battosai. He thought the light would be forever lost to him. He had not only failed to protect Kaoru, but he had failed to prepare himself for the weight of her life and the impact it would have on his heart to see her die.

That felt like it would be the end for him, but maybe it wasn’t. Or not just yet…

Hittocere: That is not the end. No that it is not. There will be one last chapter, and you’ll be shocked at the startling conclusion to that. One other thing, that Hittocere is a much more docile one than the originals. One being me, the other being from my own story. I am not evil; you’ll see why I did that soon.

Saria: Still how could you do that? You are so cruel! (This was already known I thought...)

Jade: More! More! More now!

Hittocere: Tell ya what I’ll do something special… I’ll do the original idea for the ending and then the optional ending. Both will surprise you, and both will be the true conclusions of this long fic. of mine. Until we meet again, please review. I wonder... What do you guys think I'll do?