Crystal of Love

RK and YYH don't belong to me.

Author's notes: um… I didn't want to leave everyone on a major cliffhanger, so I decided to jump ahead and update! (Sides there's nothing else to do, my room is clean, no good junk food and nothing fun to do…) Oh well, life goes on I suppose.

Chapter 15:

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It seemed impossible, but time stopped that moment, when Kenshin just looked at his wife—in pain and horror—this shouldn't be happening to her, she shouldn't have to live with those memories and pain of long ago. No, never should she ever have to live with it again, but here she was, meaning only two words; he failed.

A fast wind seemed to fill the area, trying to force everyone down to the sand—to a unearthly grave as sand swept into the air and attacked everyone, except for four. Kenshin, Misao, Robin and Kaoru.

Robin may have been controlling the wind, Kaoru, was, well, her old self, he was still dragon, but Misao? That was the mystery that needed to be found, but now was seriously not the time to think anything over. The wind was slowly getting stronger, and Kenshin felt the tugging of it on his wings the most, even if he half folded them in.

Kaoru looked over at him, and seemed to notice as a soft, caring look came to her ever expressive eyes. She vanished, only to reappear behind Kenshin, wrapping her arms around his neck, dangling some ways off the ground as she buried her face in his hair.

He felt himself go back to human—the dragon form melting away to the way he was before, the original form for this life. But he was still able to stand up to the wind, because of her power, he quickly realized. She was doing this for him because she loved him.

"Don't worry about me, I'm still here," she whispered into his ear before returning back to her battle—which resumed its silent stand off.

Robin may have appeared calm, but she was really a working stress case at the moment, for she didn't know what to expect from her messiah—after all, no one she knew of knew what kind of attacks or powers the woman standing in front of her had. She decided to try her luck. "Why don't you just come with me now and leave you're friends will be set free?"

"You'll do so even if I don't go with you, and you will do so now," Kaoru said, calmly, watching her opponent carefully.

"And what if I don't?"

"I'll think of something creative to do," she replied.

"You will? It's just a bluff, you wouldn't even hurt a fly!"

"How about an ant? Stepped on one this morning."

She didn't know what to say about this one—and in ant? How could she remember something like that?

"I have a good memory, Robin. I can remember even, when we were little how we played that trick on Opshi, and how we got into trouble for that one."

"That's the past, and nothing is like it any more. The past is something we can't go back to any more! It's all over for us in the world below! All we have is the want for what awaits us in the darkness your leaving left us in!"

"You were all to in love with the temple."

"Don't you dare say anything against the temple!"

Robin attacked, taking her dagger and going forward, sweeping the knife at her messiah in an arc, but it was caught by a blast of energy that was sent for Misao. The blond landed some way from them, the knife still in her hand. The wind died down and all of them were able to stand up again, all covered in sand. Akira stood off to the side in a soft silence while in thought.

"Misao…" whispered Aoshi as she just smiled at him, knowing the question that most wanted to ask, what was she?

"Everyone! Listen up! Because I only have to guts to say this once, understand? I'm immortal!" She paused to let it all sink in, before muttering to her self that it was finally over.

"You're a goddess?" came from her lover and she looked at him, the feeling of dread coming to her of what else he might say and what he might be thinking and feeling at the very moment. What if he didn't want her any more? "You know, this doesn't change anything between us."

"It doesn't?" Misao said shakily.

"No, I'll love you forever because you are always you, and I love you for that. Not because you are mortal or immortal." His ice blue eyes looked at her, and they only held love that he had—that they had together, and for each other.

"I love you so much, Aoshi!" Misao jumped her taller lover, nearly knocking him to the ground as she did so.

"Robin! Don't!" Kaoru cried out, nearly to her friend as the girl raised her dagger to her own heart.

"Sorry, but I have to." With that said, she plunged it into her heart with no remorse or feeling left in her at all.

Kaoru sank to the ground, her blue eyes going from a 'vicious' state to a scared and horrified look as she gazed at her friend—who now lay dead.

Hiei was the only one who dared walk over to the body, but he only did so to place his black cape over her body to give it some peace.

"What the hell is happening down there to make her do this?" She whispered, shaking her head away from Kurama's out stretched hands of comfort as tears flew through the air.

"It was just kept with in a special few, those who were demeaned unworthy or had ties with the world above would never know what was being planned with The Temple of Darkness, so none of it would leak out. The reason Akira didn't know, and why she committed suicide… couldn't live with it I guess…" said Tisha, slowly, quietly, knowing his words were hurt even if they were the truth.

"She was born in a common family…" said Akira, "saw her once, walking at the back of the temple—keeping her mouth shut from those she loved most and finally not being able to do anything because of it… it was just to much for her."

"Now let her rest in peace," said Kaoru, wiping her face of tears as she gazed at the cloak covered body.

"Yes, yes she can."

They buried the body, and despite all the sadness in the air, Yahiko was able to get into a heated fight with Kaoru over something as trivial as what they were having for dinner.

"I hope you don't cook busu, the food last night was horrible!" said Yahiko, putting his hands behind his head as they walked, acting carefree.

"What did you just say?!" Kaoru growled back, her eyes going dangerous.

"What? About the food or your being ugly?"

"Both you little brat!"

"You're an ugly raccoon who can't cook!"

"An raccoon! Oh! You just stepped over the boundary Yahiko-CHAN!!! Now you are going to get it! Come here!"

"Don't call me CHAN!"

"Oro…"

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AN: Okay… that was a surprising ending… don't think I meant for it to be that way, but they are at least in character. ^.^ And! A pop question to any of you paying attention, what is my name? (Hint: I mentioned it in the author's notes of the chapter 14.) Well, I'll see you all um… next week maybe? Don't know if I'm going fishing or not tomorrow… hopefully we will, I want to be know for catching two fish, and not just one (but, the first time I caught a fish, I was so happy and surprised! For I finally caught one! ^.^).

Jay: Kaoru isn't exactly a nark, she's just, well, a villager from a village long ago. A village that has no name right now, because I don't want to really go into it… I think. And yes, running will work, if you want to be a coward. Dying in battle is much more honorable.

Tsuki: thank you, about the English and beta reader… but I don't really need one, my English is enough to substance me for now, even if it is my first language (and I can't tell you a verb, to a noun, to a adjective (did I spell that right even?), to anything else… and I want to be a writer! This really doesn't fit much to me). And I forget what else to say, AOL just got closed… I didn't do it! ^.^ (My computer is kinda whacked up…).

Thank you for reviewing! I really appreciate it! You are all keeping me to do this fic! (I could cry!) I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can!