BOOM! I'M BACK BABY!

Hoo boy that was long hiatus, bet you all were getting pretty worried I wouldn't finish this story. Yeah I'm real sorry about that.

I think I just got in a slump when I tried figuring out how to end this thing. I now have the bare bones of it mapped out now, but of course this story writes itself sometimes so it might end up totally different to what I had in mind. Honestly it's like raising a teenager, just won't bloody listen to ya haha.

Anywho, I believe I left the last few chapters with Hatsuharu and a fainted Tohru receiving help from a strange woman in a burnt down village, whilst on their way to find Kyo. Oh and Tohru was blackmailed by Akito to get Kyo banished from the Kenshin kingdom, that's why she's going after him, so she's a bit of a mess. Speaking of mess, Kyo and Kazuma were thrown in the Fudoushin dungeon by Akito after Kyo found out that he and Kagura aren't the true heirs of Fudoushin.

You poor people, how could I have just left it like that? Jeez I'm awful.

So without further ado, the very, very late Chapter 36- His Real Family!

Go!

*Drip*

...

*Drip*

...

*Drip*

It was the soft, constant sound of water hitting stone that woke Kyo up. But it was the harsh, constant pounding in his head that kept him from slipping back into unconsciousness.

*Drip*

...

*Drip*

Kyo groaned lightly as the incessant sound drove nails into his skull. He had yet to open his eyes. He was afraid of what he saw if he did.

*Drip*

...

*Drip*

"Dammit!" Kyo grit his teeth, a mixture of pain and frustration etched on his face. He still refused to open his eyes, still refused to move from the cold stone beneath him.

"...Kyo?" A voice echoed toward him.

Kyo opened his eyes.

"Kyo? Is that... ugh... is that you? Are you alright?" The voice seemed to get closer somewhere behind him.

The prince moved slowly; painfully conscious of his bruised ribs and blooming headache. "Shishou?" His voice strained against his throat. How long had he been out? Kyo moved away from the locked cell door and crawled slowly over to the bars on his right. "Are you ok?" He croaked hoarsely as he gripped the bars and gasped slightly as pain flourished on his side. Dammit, cracked rib for sure. He squinted into the adjacent cell, his eyes taking time to adjust to the lack of light.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Are you though?" Kazuma answered as he too shuffled closer to the bars separating them. Kyo frowned when he saw his mentor nursing the side of his head. Blood had dried at his temple and a red trail had made its way down his left eyelid.

"Y-yeah I'm fine," Kyo lied, still frowning at Kazuma's head.

Kazuma sighed in relief, sagging slightly as he let out a breath. He then noticed Kyo staring warily at where he held his head. He smiled as genuinely as he could, "It's not as bad as it looks, don't worry."

Kyo scowled suddenly, "Like hell it is. You need to dress it." He stated simply, trying not to let any emotion flow into his voice. He only barely managed it. Shishou eye widened a bit, shock showing on his tired face. He was probably more disoriented than he thought. Dressing his head should have been the first thing he did. He chuckled weakly.

"Yes, I probably should," the silver haired man huffed humorously. He roughly tore off a length of material from his pant leg, hopefully long enough to wrap around his head at least twice. Before he could do anything else, there was a hand sticking out of the bars, palm flattened expectantly. Kazuma looked at the frowning boy quizzically.

"Let me do it, you'll screw it up otherwise," Kyo stated in answer to his silent question. Kazuma cocked an eyebrow, but handed his pupil the material anyway.

"Since when did you speak to me like that?" The mentor mused as he bowed his head for Kyo to bandage it through the bars.

"Since yesterday," the clipped response made Kazuma tense.

Kyo continued wrapping while his Shishou kept silent.

"So you knew then? All this time?" The redhead continued with the same vacant voice. Kazuma stared at the bars separating them, even after Kyo had finished dressing his head.

"Kyo I..." The mentor tried to begin but couldn't find the right words. "I'm..."

"You're what? You're sorry? Were you even going to tell me? Or did you just hope I wouldn't find out and live miserably unaware for the rest of my life?!" Kyo gradually lost control of his composure, his rising voice grating against his unused throat.

Kazuma closed his eyes and sighed in defeat. The guilt coursing through him hurt just as much as his head did, maybe even worse. "The king and queen gave me strict orders not to tell you and Kagura..." He cringed at the excuse, hating how cowardly it sounded. But it was the truth; he had taken priority over his own safety in exchange for his pupils' happiness. It was unforgivable.

Kyo let out a sharp noise that could have passed as a laugh if it hadn't been filled with scorn. The sound bounced off the damp walls, a sullen reminder of their current situation. "The king and queen," the boy spat out with such venom even Kazuma had to use great control in not flinching. "This is all their fault. Akito's too. I can't fucking believe this!" The bar that he smacked with his palm shuddered slightly. Kyo sat back against the same bar, lightly hitting the back of his head against it. He didn't even care about the headache that was threatening to split his skull in two. He didn't care about much anymore. Not anymore.

*Thump*

*Drip*

...

*Thump*

*Drip*

...

Kazuma stared at the back of Kyo's head as it rhythmically collided against the bar over and over.

*Thump*

*Drip*

...

*Drip*

...

*Thump*

*Drip*

... ...

*Thump*

Eventually Kazuma couldn't take it anymore, it was obvious Kyo was in pain yet he didn't stop. The mentor moved forward and rested his hand on the bar so that Kyo's head connected with his palm instead. "Stop, Kyo. You'll give yourself a concussion," he spoke softly, gently, as if the boy would shatter if he spoke any louder.

Kyo did stop, so he removed his hand watching warily as the orange hair moved back toward the bar. But thankfully when it made contact, it didn't move again. Kazuma sighed in relief.

Silence washed over them like an icy breeze, the only thing disrupting the silence was the drip, drip of water that seemed to be coming from everywhere and at the same time, nowhere.

"Tell me how it happened," Kyo mumbled suddenly, filling the void with a question Shishou didn't want to answer.

"Kyo I don't think I should..."

"Tell me!" The boy's voice rose violently, yet he still didn't turn around. "I have a right to know that much," he finished now barely a whisper.

The mentor sighed heavily. He was right; this was the least he could do for the boy. Even though he knew both of them wouldn't like it.

"...Very well," was all Kazuma said as he leaned back against one of the bars next to Kyo's.

[17 years ago]

The sound of crashing pottery resounded from the royal chamber. The Fudoushin king heaved angrily as he glared at the shattered remains of the vase he just threw. The queen had a similar infuriated look as she sat on the side of the bed. However she had a better handle on her temper than her husband did. Though her ability to keep her cool was tested to the limit when her spouse turned his glare on her.

"How could you STILL not be with child?! Are you barren, woman!?" he fumed, face reddened as his blood pressure skyrocketed.

The queen's mouth dropped as her brow furrowed into an ugly scowl of indignation, "How dare you! What's to say it's my fault, the blame is just as much on you!" She was a proud person and would never let anyone walk all over her, not even the king. And he respected the hot-headed woman for it; he was after all quite similar.

Nevertheless, her stubbornness grated on his temper just as much as his did hers. He growled lowly in this throat as he turned around and began pacing again, murky green eyes seeking out another object to shatter.

"It's been over a year. We should have an heir by now, this is ridiculous!" He grunted whilst reaching for a porcelain plate the servants had yet to remove.

The queen blew a bleached lock of hair out of her face and crossed her arms over her childless stomach, "Don't you think I know that? We have to do something about it. We're not getting any younger, Hidou," she stated in frustration. She watched the man's shoulders tense as he gripped the plate in his hands. She closed her eyes in exasperation as another crash insulted her ears. "Will you refrain from doing that?! It's hard enough procuring china as fine as that without you breaking it all!" she yelled as her tether finally snapped.

"I'll do as I please, Amida!" Hidou bellowed, though he didn't pick up another piece of china, instead going back to pacing the ornate room. "What do you suggest we do then, if we can't birth an heir?" He continued, scorn and anger grating the words.

Amida narrowed her eyes at the jab but ignored it. She put a manicured hand up to her mouth as she thought. A flash went through her steel eyes and her painted lips pursed together in a sly smirk. Her husband stopped pacing when he saw the look on his wife's face, "What? Do you have a solution?"

Her smile broadened, "The best solution, dear."

[[[]]]

Kazuma's face visibly blanched at the words of his king and queen. He'd been in the dojo room practicing his fencing when a young page came with the king and queens request for his presence. When he entered the throne room, he noted with distaste that Akito, the kingdom's commander, was also present to this seemingly private meeting. It was only him, Akito and the two royals present in the room, which had made Kazuma anxious. Now that he knew why he'd been summoned, he felt queasiness settle in his stomach. He side glanced at Akito who of all things was fighting a grin. If he hadn't already known what malicious intent the man harboured, Kazuma would have been even more horrified than he was. His attention flicked back to the two seated on their thrones as the king continued to speak.

"I don't have to remind you that this is to be carried out in the utmost of secrecy. That is, no one is to know that we are behind this. If they do, you can be sure that both of you will pay for it with your lives," Hidou threatened with an air of indifference.

Akito bowed with a hand across his chest and a hand behind his back, "But of course Your Majesty, you can expect nothing but the best of professionalism. Well from me anyway," he added lowly with a smirk directed to the paled Kazuma.

The jab momentarily snapped the dojo master out of his stupor long enough for him to start voicing his guarded opinion, "With all due respect Your Royal Highnesses, isn't this a bit of a… cruel thing to do?" he bowed his head so as to show he meant no disrespect.

The queen sat up in her golden throne, "Are you questioning our decisions, Kazuma? I do hope you're not harbouring traitorous thoughts towards the kingdom?" her fake sweet voice was laced in a poisonous threat. The threat made Kazuma flinch and Akito's smirk widen.

"No Your Majesty, I have no such thoughts. I apologise, I was out of line," the silver-haired man gritted his teeth and bowed lower so they couldn't see his terse expression.

He heard the queen's contented grunt as the king continued speaking. "I don't care how you do it, or what the collateral damage is. Just be sure to target a lesser known town, preferably on the outskirts of the kingdom."

Akito lifted his head, obvious glee shining in his eyes at the prospect of havoc, "How many soldiers are we allowed?"

Amida shook her pompous curled head, "No one else is to know of this. Not even the soldiers. Only you too, our most skilled fighters, are to go on this mission," her voice lowered a few octaves to show how serious this condition was.

"Very well, you have my word, my queen," the commander bowed again, in the same exaggerated manner.

Both royals nodded and looked over at their second fighter, whom was still standing straight. "And what of you Kazuma," the king questioned with a raised brow, "Can we count on you for this mission?" The threat of Kazuma's inevitable death if he refused clung to the humid air, as apparent as if it had been spoken aloud.

Kazuma pursed his lips, the sick feeling in his stomach rising like bile in his throat. He had no choice but to bow his head and mutter in resignation, "You have my word."

[[[]]]

"There, see that, Kazuma?" Akito stopped his horse and gestured toward a smiling couple a few metres away. The woman was cradling a bundle wrapped in brown cloth. Kazuma looked up from where he stood. He had insisted on dismounting his horse whilst walking through the towns, but Akito had only scoffed at the notion and continued perched in his saddle. This had been the third village they had searched, having not been able to find what they were looking for in the first two; much to Kazuma's relief.

He looked over at the couple laughing together in front of a house, separated from the rest of the town by trees and shrubs. The man leaned down over the bundle in the woman's arms and made a face at it. The bundle squirmed and a squeal of laughter could be heard coming from it. It was definitely a baby. Kazuma's heart sank. He hoped to god it wasn't a boy. He'd been lucky the last few times they found infants, as they had all been girls. However the same couldn't have been said for Akito, whom had been getting more and more irate the longer they travelled.

Now however, an excited glint was showing in his soulless eyes as he watched the couple go back into their house with their baby. Kazuma hated that look. It was a look he thought suited a hungry wolf rather than a human.

"This one's bound to be male," the commander said as he made his horse trot over to the cottage, Kazuma following reluctantly behind.

"Do you even have a plan, if it does turn out to be male? You can't seriously think they would just give us the child," the dojo master questioned as his face took on the same green colour it tended to take when they found another prospective child.

Akito finally dismounted his steed and tied it to a tree closest to the house. He gave a small derogatory snort as he pulled one of the larger satchels off his horse. "You obviously don't know how… convincing I can be," Akito smirked as he threw the satchel at Kazuma. The silver-haired man caught it automatically, eyebrow raised in question.

"Go on, look inside. If all goes well and this is the kid we need, then I'll give you the honours," Akito grinned cryptically before strolling leisurely toward the lone house. Kazuma frowned but opened the bag curiously and cautiously. What he found inside filled him with so much dread he nearly dropped the satchel. It was filled with torches and fire starters. He knew what they implied, what Akito was telling him to do. He clipped the bag closed and threw it to the ground at the horse's hooves. Anger swelled and filled his entire being as he stormed over to the cocky asshole that had stopped to watch his reaction. Akito's smile merely widened as the fuming man gripped the front of his tunic, bringing his face mere inches from his enraged 'partner'.

"What ever is the matter, Kazuma?" The commander chirped in a sickeningly innocent tone. Kazuma snarled and gripped his shirt tighter.

"You KNOW what!"

"Oh? I do hope it's not what I'm thinking, because if it is then that would mean you're disobeying orders. Which would make you a traitor, would it not?" the black-haired man stated coolly, not even phased by the hot breath on his face and death grip on his shirt.

"I am no traitor, but I am no murderer either! What do you expect me to do with those torches exactly?" Kazuma growled in the commander's face, wanting nothing more than to wipe that sick smirk of it.

Pulling himself out of the grip with a grunt, Akito took a calm step back and dusted himself off. "Tsk tsk, I had thought it obvious. If the infant is a boy and the parents no doubt refuse custody to us, then I simply ask you to make an example of what would happen should they refuse. Preferably to one of the houses closest, just to make sure they see it." He chuckled quietly to himself and revelled at how the colour drained from the other man's face.

"You're sick," was all Kazuma could muster in reply.

Akito laughed again, this time a little louder, "How you flatter me," he sneered proudly as he turned on his heels and continued toward the cottage.

[[[]]]

"Who the hell do you think you are!? Get off my property, I don't want to see your faces here ever again!" The orange-haired man squared his shoulders and threw out a fist threateningly toward Akito and Kazuma. Akito being the one doing the talking was closest to the punch but merely took a step back to avoid it. Both men backed away from the threshold as the other man took a defensive stance in his doorway. Behind him, his wife glared her maroon eyes at the intruders as she clutched her son in her arms. The babe had inherited his father's striking orange hair, but his eyes took after his mother. Kazuma wanted nothing more than to leave this family alone, to let them live their lives happily. But the second they had received confirmation of the infant's gender, he knew Akito would never leave without the boy.

Akito smiled thinly at the couple, "You do realise what your decision means for the village, do you not?"

The father growled, his hot-headed nature becoming very obvious, "I said GET OUT!" he obviously took Akito's threat as a bluff, and seemed to have no intentions of handing over his son.

The Fudoushin commander threw up his hands in mock surrender, a malicious smile quirking the corners of his mouth, "Very well, I see you've made your choice."

The two knights turned back toward their horses, Kazuma looking back with pain on his face as he watched the man hush his family back inside with a slam of the front door. Of course they wouldn't surrender their child to strangers, no parent in their right mind would even think of such a thing. He glared at Akito for taking joy in this bastard of a 'mission'; he hated everything about the man as well as the royals who decreed it. But most of all, he hated himself for going through with it. For doing what he was about to do.

Akito held the satchel he'd thrown to the ground earlier out to him, not even trying to hide the glee in his coal-like eyes. "Care to do the honours," It wasn't a question; it wasn't something Kazuma was able to refuse no matter how much he wanted to. The look Akito was giving him told him that his decision now would seal his fate. If he didn't do it, Akito would not only do it himself with bloodlust that could rival a starved pack of wolves, but he would report Kazuma as a traitor to the kingdom. He would suffer a fate worse than death, of that he was sure.

Kazuma snatched the bag out of the demonic man's hand, scowling as he did. Smugness radiated off the dark-haired man as he untied his horse and mounted it. Without a word he moved into the small forest separating the cottage from the rest of the village. He and his pitch black stallion melted into the slowly building darkness as Kazuma followed with his own slightly lighter horse. Akito stopped just enough so he could still see the lone cottage but could no longer be seen by them. He glanced over at Kazuma who was still looking at the house with a sad expression. The commander snorted at the emotional weakness being displayed. "Well then? We haven't got all day," he urged in an almost bored tone as he twisted his horse to face the house.

Throwing daggers from his eyes, Kazuma left his horse with Akito and walked briskly toward the unsuspecting village. The fact that Akito wasn't following him was a good sign; it meant he could go about this in a way that hopefully didn't hurt innocents. Reaching the clearing he took out a large torch and lit it with slightly shaking hands. Its light shone in competition with the steadily setting sun as he moved slowly toward one of the closest houses. It was one of the smallest as well, which hopefully meant not many people lived there. His plan was to light a small section of the house and immediately shout out 'FIRE' to alert the villagers. He hoped the smoke would be enough to get the couple's attention and convince them to hand the boy over to Akito without any more trouble.

Taking a deep breath, Kazuma lifted the torch to the hatched roof. He shouted in alarm as a small fire ball ignited the roof, the heat overwhelming close to his face. He stared in horror as the tiny flame spread at a terrifying rate, almost completely engulfing the roof by the time he'd come to his senses. "FI-FIRE! FIRE!" He yelled as he snuffed out his torch, but it was too late as the fire crept over to the next house in tendrils. Screams and yells came from the first house he ignited, without thinking he bolted for the door. It was bolted from the inside. "Unlock the door! Get out!" He started shoulder charging it, ignoring the beads of sweat rolling down his face as the fire on the roof crept down the house at an alarming rate. After what seemed like forever, he finally broke through the door. The small house was already filled with smoke; he had to cover his mouth with his shirt as he squinted in the gloom. "Is anybody in here?!" he yelled, head swivelling from side to side as he surveyed the small room.

A weak cough in the far corner alerted his senses, and he wasted no time in hurrying to the person's aid. It was an elderly woman, curled up on a mattress with her hand covering her coughing mouth. Without any warning, Kazuma lifted the small elder from the mattress and whirled out the door.

"Is there anyone else inside?" He asked urgently as he placed her gingerly on the ground a safe distance from the house. The lady shook her head and opened her eyes in shock, a cough interrupting her gasp. Kazuma furrowed his brows as he turned to what the woman was looking at.

He collapsed to his knees at the sight. Almost half of the buildings were in flames, the villagers scattered throughout the village with buckets of water and tears in their eyes. Some screams came from the buildings; others came from the people outside. It was absolute chaos. No. It was hell. And HE had brought this upon them. Soot-covered children were crying outside as some of the adults ushered them out of harm's way. Other adults heaved water onto the growing flames in a futile attempt at saving their homes, while some braver souls rushed inside to help anyone still trapped in the buildings.

Kazuma's eyes grew hot but he barely felt the tears streaming down his face as he forced his lead-filled body to its feet. He took a heavy step forward, intent on helping the people he had damned when a figure shouldered past him in a hurry. He watched as the figure with bright orange hair ran straight for the buildings burning the same colour. The father of the boy. Kazuma was just about to follow him when his name was called out from behind. He spun around to see Akito bounding toward him on his horse. Kazuma's horse trailed behind.

"Kazuma! I've got the boy! Let's get out of here!" the black-haired man yelled in obvious delight as his eyes quickly surveyed the flames hungrily. It was only then the dojo master noticed a familiar brown bundle in the other man's arms. It took all his strength to not fling himself into the nearest flame, to burn with the innocents he sentenced to death, the families he had destroyed, the boy's life he had ripped away.

Akito slowed to circle around Kazuma as his horse caught up to him, the old woman he'd saved having disappeared without him noticing. Clenching his eyes tight, Kazuma did one last thing he would regret for the rest of his life; he mounted his horse and made his escape with Akito.

When he opened his eyes he made himself look back at the burning village, to etch what he had done into his brain so he would never forget it and never forgive himself for it. He spotted the orange-haired man again, coming out of a burning building with two children in his arms. Without wasting any time the man ran back into the house recklessly. Kazuma's eyes widened and he let out a cry as he watched the same house collapse in a fireball of flames. He ripped his head back around and clenched his jaw as they left the destruction behind.

The baby began to cry.

...

There, that was Kyo's origin story in a nut shell… I've made myself so depressed with this, but I know it had to be told. And now I've not only made myself miserable over Kyo, I've made myself miserable over Kazuma as well… Freaking hell, no wonder the man feels so much guilt about Kyo… Ugh just… FEELS… man…

Next chapter will be Kyo's reaction to all this (I can't even begin to image his reaction holy shit), probably a little on how Kagura came about (pretty similar to Kyo's story, except a different village and Kazuma refused to go this time around), and a look see into how Tohru and Hatsuharu are doing.

Until then, I am glad to be back, I thank you for your absolutely STELLAR patience, and apologise for the unbelievably long hiatus.

You guys rock!

Peace.