Disclaimer: RK ain't mine! ***EDITED****

Authors Note- When Tomoe says 'the gift of life' she is offering her body to bear Battousai`s children.

To help with the imagination I have described Nila as having wolf features. Just so you get a vague idea of what she looks like.

In The Past with Tomoe

"You have picked me" The Battousai smirked and I felt a shiver run down my back.

"I most certainly have" I smirked back at him.

"You have an incredibly strong aura" The Battousai frowned in wonder. The women standing in front of him felt evil.

"Does that bother you?" I asked and placed my hand on my hip in a luring fashion. He didn't answer me only kept his focused gaze on me.

"There will be no need for any hunt to take place I am willingly yours" I smirked as I saw his eyebrows lift slightly; he obviously hadn't been expecting it to be so easy.

"What is your name?" he asked me.

"Yukishiro Tomoe" I stepped closer to him.

"Tomoe" he seemed to play with my name.

"Lord Battousai as your mate I will stand by your side for all days. I will give you the gift of life and I would sacrifice all for you" I told him keeping our eyes locked as I moved closer to him until I was stood an inch from his broad chest. I saw his eyes widen slightly and his lips curve into a smirk so his sharp fangs showed.

"A willing soul, how lucky am I?" he smirked and brought his face closer to mine so he breathed against my face. I gripped my hands into fists and took a sharp breath; his movements were enough to make me feel weak.

"Take me" I breathed against his lips.

In The Future with Kenshin And Kaoru

"How long has it been?" I asked Kenshin seeing his eyes distance themselves and him walk silently as ever but his thoughts far from were they where. His eyes suddenly flashed lavender and he turned to face me.

"What?" he asked utterly confused by my question.

"How long have we been wandering this place for?" I referred to the gloomy forest.

"I would say about 9 suns" he answered and I rolled my eyes, our journey was never going to end.

"Where are we going anyway?" I had asked once again like I had asked every day and never been given a full answer.

"Kaoru we will go wherever I want us to go" he snapped and my head flew to glare at him.

"If I have to remind you one more time I'm going to pull your precious little flower petal from petal. I am not your little puppet" I growled knowing my threats were becoming nothing but jokes to him, his arrogant smirk confirmed it all.

"We are nearly there now so you can stop asking that question and getting yourself into a silly little huff" he chuckled and I shook my head, this creature I walked with was just unbelievable.

"Hurray let's have a party" my sarcastic remark made him chuckle once more.

"I'm just damn glad everything I do amuses you so" I gave a quick sarcastic smile then resumed my sulky look.

"You know you should smile more often you look so pretty when you do" he smiled at me and I felt my face heat up, my eyes instantly dropped to the floor.

"And you should be more concerned about your own looks" I snapped back defensively.

"It was a compliment Kaoru I see you don't take them very well" he stated the obvious.

"I know what it was" I growled and slowed my walking so he walked ahead of me. I couldn't face him any more, his consistent handout of compliments were beginning to bug me. Every chance he seemed to get he would blurt one out not realising the reaction it had on me. Only last night had we slept in a thicket, he snuggled up to me and told me how warm I was. A few days ago he just reached out and stroked my hair gently and then informed me of how smooth it felt. It was just becoming too much for me.

"I need to bathe" I ran my fingers through my greasy hair.

"What for?" his question stopped me and I looked at him.

"Because I smell, I feel dirty and my hair is sticking to my bloody head its so greasy!" I snapped dreaming of a nice hot spring to relax in.

"Well firstly your smell is unique, I have never smelt anyone like you before" he said more to himself but my face flushed a hot red.

"How dare you! For once can you just please keep your damned thoughts to yourself!" I screeched and stormed past him.

I felt his presence follow me and part of me was glad he had, another was fuming that this creature I had been bound to was turning from the monster out of a nightmare into something that was so incredibly honest and innocent it was sickening. I glanced back at him to find him staring at me in wonder.

I whipped my head back to were I was headed and let a low growl rumble in my throat.

Suddenly my senses were on fire, my whole body froze and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I displayed my claws. My eyes widened as I scanned the dark world around me.

"Kaoru?" his voice was distant to me as I focused all of my sense on the creatures I could smell, hear and taste that I knew lingered nearby.

"Something is out there" I hissed and crept forward. I felt no fear as I moved forward following my nose as I sniffed out the hiding creatures.

"We are in the territory of the Lera, can you not smell there weakened minds. They are no threat to us" Kenshin informed me and I threw back my head staring him down, I wanted more answers.

"What are these Lera?" I asked walking closer to him until I was a breath away.

"They are the creatures that are hunted not the hunters, the small but wise animals of this forest that give life to others when they are hunted." He frowned as he talked; my eyes were high and alert.

"The unknown distresses you so come, I will show you" he took my hand and led me in a different direction no lighter than the one we had been travelling in.

"Right now we are travelling in an area of this forest were peace is at hand and violence does not exist. The Lera do not kill for their food, they scavenge to survive and this makes them weak but they are the purest of creatures to live." His voice was hypnotic as he led me through the forest; all around me I finally noticed these small animals.

"Kenshin look!" I grew excited as I spotted a family of creatures huddled together feasting.

"They are named Hares, looked highly upon for their speed but they can even become somewhat vicious with them tiny paws but they are easily frightened creatures when it comes to facing a Putnar" Kenshin spoke in his hypnotic voice and I grew more and more fascinated.

"Putnar?" I asked.

"Yes you and I are Putnar Kaoru, we are both hunters and in times of survival the Hare is amongst the various creatures we would hunt" his words drifted to the long ears of the Hares and they all froze with a jolt.

"It's very rare you will see a drove of hares as the majority of them roam in pairs, like you and I are doing now" he smiled those last few words.

"So if they are not hunters then what do they eat?" I asked as I watched the family calm down at the sight of no danger.

"They eat the grass, leaves and weeds the spirits of this forest gladly supply them with" Kenshin looked up to the tall gloomy trees and I followed his gaze but nothing seemed interesting to the eye.

"How do you know so much?" I asked and my interest was instantly captured by a slithering creature winding its way through the tall grass.

"I was created with such knowledge, I had to understand every living creature for judgement to be passed" he spoke. I didn't full understand what he meant but I knew it had something to do with the Gates of Azura.

"Do you believe in spirits Kaoru?" he asked and I thought it over.

"I grew up believing lots of things, the stories we were told as children will always stick with me. It brings me hope to know our mother and father are watching over us" I smiled.

"Tell me more" Kenshin asked.

"Well, Hynian`s believe Raza and Nila created us. Raza was a human and the bravest of all the men and he fell in love with a kitana, Nila" I cut it short but Kenshin pushed for more.

"It is said Humans do not venture without moon's light as their vision is faint in darkness, but one night a man had enough of seeing his village die off one by one by the starvation that clung to them. Game was scarce but in the forest it was full of creatures that would make his village full and plump again. So he bravely took his armour with him and ventured into the forest." I paused to take a breath.

"This man was Raza?" Kenshin guessed easily, I nodded.

"In the forest Raza was about to strike a lone deer, something we think of highly now and would never lay our claws on. But as he lifted his bow and pulled back his arrow he found a pair of eyes watching him in the distance, the shine of her eyes had distracted him and he now aimed his arrow at the creature that had stalked him. The creature still did not move, it watched him intently as though wondering what his next move would be." My voice seemed to silence the forest as we carried on walking, this time side by side.

"Raza felt ashamed under the creatures gaze at what he was doing, he felt as though the creature was reaching into his soul and witnessing all the wrong he had done. But was it wrong for him to want to feed his loved ones."

"Raza froze when the creature stepped out and he saw her beauty. He fell madly in love with the mysterious creature, hypnotised by her charm and transfixed by her alluring gaze." I stopped for a moment, looking up at Kenshin to find him looking back at me waiting for me to continue. I had to tear my gaze from his, my thoughts seemed scrambled for a moment.

"Raza would find he could only meet with the beautiful Kitana at moon, when the moon was at its highest she would glow under its gaze, her coat a magnificent crystal clear white it glittered as she wandered through the forest the moons rays stroking her coat. She was the rarest most beautiful Kitana that could tread the soft grounds of the forest. Her name was Nila" I smiled as I saw the shimmer of light twinkle through the bulky trees.

"But Raza had become infatuated with her, he would watch her for moons on end making killings for her tempting her into his heart and wanting her to feel how he felt about her, but neither creature could understand one another as they could not convey thoughts. Soon Nila was wandering closer and closer to Raza`s village, she wanted to be near him, she had grown attached to his affectionate ways, his generous gifts, but most of all his need for her attention. They both wanted each other, but being of different nature it was impossible. One moon Raza did not go into the forest and Nila worried for him, so she ventured to his village. Raza was ill, his continuous journeys into the forest had deserved him an illness, he was unable to walk, his body drained and exhausted, he was so ill that he didn't hear the call of his loved one, the howl that called out to him desperate for him to call back." My hearted ached at the thought of Nila howling into the night, desperate to reach Raza. But he didn't call back.

"The villagers took the howl as a threat, and ran at Nila with spears and sharp arrows that pierced the Kitana`s soft skin and drained the blood from her body, she hadn't even been left to die when the villagers ripped the skin from her body cheering for the kill and the beautiful fur they had just stolen. They celebrated as they dragged Nila`s limp body all the way back to the camp, soon word was around and Nila`s body was tied up and hung over the fire where it burnt her skinless body, she was to be their food for the next few suns. A few suns passed and Raza grew in strength, and he finally left his hut one moon desperate to be united with his loved one once more. It was no surprise he was unable to find her, the forest was on edge, he could feel the tension and it frightened him, he had never known the forest to be so silent. He walked further, knowing of where Nila rested, but when he arrived she was nowhere to be seen. Raza delved further into the forest, and several moons passed but still he was determined to find her." I noticed the forest become lighter as we walked on.

"Raza" I faintly heard Kenshin mumbled, I looked to him expecting him to say something but instead he had a thoughtful expression on his face, he was deep in thought so I continued.

"When he did eventually retreat back to his village he was tired and exhausted, and headed straight for camp, that is until he saw his chief walk past wearing fur the colour of pure snow. He knew instantly what his own people had done to his beloved, he saw the hollow mask of his mate handing from the back of his honoured chief. It brought Raza to a deep depression that eventually slowed his heart from the pain it brought him every rising sun. Raza wanted to end his pain and be reunited with his darling mate, he missed her beauty, her patience, he calm presence. He missed the way she would howl to him every night, how she let him into her den and he nuzzled her gently, wishing he was one of her kind. Communication wasn't much, but silence is sometimes better than words, the feeling that you know you are loved and your presence is addictive. He wished to run with her once more through the darkness of the forest and hunt for her, watching how she lovingly licked at his face in gratitude. At times she would paw him, scratching at his arms as they lay together, whimpering excitedly as she begged from him to play. It was these moments that made his heart tear painfully, and it brought him to do something drastic, but honourable in many ways. He lay in his hut one night and watched the flickering of his fire light dance before his eyes; he slowly reached out and knocked it to the floor where the fire breathed across the straw hut engulfing him in flames. He was finally to be reunited with Nila" I smiled at that thought and felt warmth take a gentle hold of my hand. I turned to see Kenshin looking at me, with no smile or comforting gaze.

"Sometimes, love itself can be the killer" Kenshin spoke seriously, but I frowned and ripped my hand from his clutches. I stepped close to his face and hissed at him showing my fangs threateningly.

"What would you know about love?" I growled, his comment had hurt me deeply. He had just insulted everything I believed in.

"I know that it drives creatures to insanity, to such measures that they risk the lives of others not caring if anyone else gets hurt in the process. I know it's addictive and dangerous, it's a feeling that corrupts the mind with silly thoughts, brings adventure to life and makes everything seem worth living for. I know that you awoke me to this miserable world so I would stay by your side for eternity, protect, obey and respect everything you are" He hissed back at me, I saw his eyes flash amber and I frowned, I could have sworn they were violet a moment ago, it caught me off guard.

"Have you ever been in love Kaoru?" he asked me and I blinked wide eyed.

"No I haven't" I muttered, I felt the blush sweep my cheeks. "Have you?" I wondered.

"Yes, but it was so very long ago" He turned quickly; I had obviously scratched a soft spot.

"Kenshin" I shouted out my plea, he stopped abruptly and turned his head slightly.

"Will you tell me what if felt like, to be in love" I asked and walked cautiously towards him. His eyebrows raised in surprise.

"I cannot remember" his shoulders stiffened and I heard his sharp intake of breath. I stopped by his side and touched his arm gently.

The arm a loved one had once been enveloped in, the arms that had protected another. How could he not remember such an experience?

"Did you mean what you said?" I whispered back, he didn't answer, only waited for me to continue.

"To protect, obey and respect. Those words are apart of our binding with Raza and Nila, the ceremony that takes place and binds two lovers together. We use those words as guidance and in hope that the bond will be strong enough" I told him quietly.

"You will witness yourself the truth behind those words" his eyes soft lavender, the colour that soothes.

"Do you believe in destiny Kaoru?" he asked and I smirked.

"How can I not, I mean come on, all I did was pick a flower!" and my chuckles erupted into laughter that I had kept back for many many suns. But Kenshin did not laugh, for he felt guilt ride through him and disturb him greatly. He couldn't for the life of him tell the sweetness that walked beside him that she had believed in a lie. That Raza had not ended his life for Nila. He had in fact burnt his village to the ground and murdered his whole village for revenge of what his own kind had done. And that Raza was passed judgement, for his soul to never find a resting place. It was he, Kenshin who had passed that judgement.

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