Glossary: tabi=split toe socks, fusuma=inside door, nani=what?, Hai=yes, sakobatou=reverse blade sword, okaeri=welcome, Bakumatsu=Revolution, busu=ugly woman, kirei=beautiful, ikka=home,

Chapter 13



Broken Promises and Sad Farewells

The days were dwindling like a candle's burning flame as it ran out of wick and wax. Only two days remained until the Autumn Moon Festival, and Kenshin was no closer to finding Yahiko than he was when he first started looking. The tips about the strange goings on down on the

waterfront had turned out to be nothing more than late night gambling among some of the more smarmy sailors, and there had been no further information reported since then. Time was quickly running out for the searchers just as it was running out for Myojin Yahiko.

Nothing would stop the full moon from rising, and nothing would stop Elsbeth from opening the door to Hell unless they found her and stopped her. The air around the Aoiya was so full of prayers and entreaties to the Deities that the home of the Onniwabanshuu felt more like a shrine or a temple than a hideout for a group of professional ninja. Everyone inside was trying to come up with an idea for a new direction to take, but so far no one had thought of anything viable. Yahiko and the

man in black seemed to have vanished into thin air.

"How many places are there to hide in Kyoto? I mean, seriously how many places can you hide a person and not be seen by anybody. We have not had even one sighting of the man in black, and it is not like he would not stand out in the crowd." Misao plucked a loose string out of the toe of her white tabi. "We have every single member of the Onniwabanshuu in the city looking for him, and nobody has seen anyone who even come close to his description. I do not understand. It has

been five days. If he is still in the city, he should have resurfaced by now."

"I agree with you Misao, but if he is purposely keeping a low profile, then he would be taking great measures not to be seen." Aoshi was trying not to watch the play of muscles and tendons beneath the skin covering Misao's long pale legs as she leaned over to examine her split toe socks. "And as for how many places are there to hide in Kyoto? The whole city is filled with abandoned buildings, old ruins, and even tunnels and catacombs beneath the streets left over from the destruction of the Revolution. There are more places to hide in than there are people to hide them in."

"I guess so, but don't you think that if this witch lady wants to use Yahiko for a human sacrifice to open a door to Hell that lasts forever, she would have to keep him somewhere that he would not only stay hidden, but she could keep him healthy?" Her sharp intelligent blue eyes

sparked with thought. "It would have to be somewhere where he could move around even if it was only a little bit so she would not have to tie him up. Somewhere she could lock him in but still be able to get to him and feed him and stuff without worrying about him escaping." She looked

pointedly at Aoshi. "What kind of a place could you put somebody in that would do all of that?"

Aoshi narrowed his jade eyes and considered Misao's description of the kind of place Yahiko might be being kept in. It made good sense to him. Yahiko would have to be in good if not excellent physical condition for the ceremony in order to provide the energy and power needed to

open a door of that magnitude. That made it all stand to reason that he would need to be hide in a place where he would not have to be restrained. A room or something like it just as Misao had said, but what sort of room would one use to hide a twelve year old boy? A very strong twelve year old boy who was more intelligent and cunning than most his age. It was a thought worth pondering.

"You are right, Misao. It would have to be some sort of a room with a lock on the door, but it would have to be a strongly reinforced room with no windows to keep young Myojin-san inside. He is very cunning, and could most likely escape from a lessor prison." As Aoshi spoke the word, his eyes and face registered extreme shock. "Oh my!" He exclaimed in a shocked voice. "That is it! That is where they took him. It has to be. It would be the perfect place." He shook his head in stunned disbelief. "Why did we never consider it before? If I wanted to safe keep someone away from prying eyes, that is somewhere I might hide them." The expression on his face was incredulous. "I must tell Himura." He leapt to his feet, pulled open the fusuma, and trotted down

the veranda to the room Kenshin and Kaoru were sharing. Misao jumped up and followed him.

"What would be perfect?" She called after his retreating form. "Aoshi-sama? What did you think of?" She caught up to him when he stopped and gently knocked on the fusuma to Kenshin's room.

"Nani?" Kenshin's voice answered.

"Himura, it is Aoshi. May I speak to you for a moment?"

"Hai, come in." Aoshi slowly slid the door open and stepping inside the room with Misao following. Kenshin was sitting on the floor polishing his sakabotou, and Kaoru was writing in her journal. Both of them looked up as the ninja entered.

"Okaeri, Aoshi, Misao. Please come in and sit." Kesnhin waved them inside with a warm smile. He watched patiently as the two of them took seats on the wooden floor, and then asked them why they had come.

"Misao and I have been discussing Myojin-san's possible whereabouts this morning." Kenshin frowned and saddened anger filled his eyes.

"And what fruit did your discussion bare?" His voice betrayed the frustration of his feelings.

"I believe I may know where the Lady might be keeping him." Kenshin and Kaoru both stared gapping at Aoshi. Kaoru slid quickly across the floor and sat next to Kenshin.

"Are you serious, Aoshi?" Her voice was filled with anxious hope.

"Yes. You know I am always serious, Kaoru-dono. Besides, I would never jest about such things as this. Myojin-san's whereabouts are far to important to all of us for it to be taken lightly."

"Yes, yes of course. I am sorry." Kaoru apologized to the offended ninja then rolled her eyes at his remark when he looked away. Touchy.

"Where do you think he is, Aoshi?" Kenshin had stopped rubbing the blade of his sword, and was concentrating on the man setting opposite him.

"The underground prison cells beneath the ruins of the old Monastery. Do you remember, the one with the stained glass window. It burned in the Bakumatsu fires." Serious jade eyes met fierce violet. "Do you know the one I speak of?"

"Yes, I know it. What makes you think he is there?"

"Try to think like the Battousai for a moment." Kenshin frowned but nodded his head. "If you were in possession of a hostage of your worst enemy, and you wanted to hide him where no one would see or look, where would you put him to make certain no one saw him. Not even a ragged

tramp on the street, an orphaned waif, a Prostitute, or a paid snitch. Where could you stash him that you could be absolutely certain not one person would see, hear, or stumble onto your prisoner?"

Aoshi waited quietly while Kenshin considered his question thoughtfully with his Battousai's mind. It was an intriguing thought, and Kenshin began muttering quietly to himself as he pondered it. "Where could I hide someone and be absolutely certain that no one would ever see

him or anyone connected to him or his prison?" The cross shaped scar on his left cheek twitched as he considered the area of the city the old Monastery was located in.

Nearly two thirds of the buildings were either unoccupied or uninhabitable, which made the population count there very low. That automatically reduced the risk of being seen by over 75%, and the people who did live in that part of the city were very poor. They would not be that interested in the goings on of those around them. They would be far to absorbed with their own survival. There might be the occasional round of gossip about the strange richly dressed people, or the fine carriage and horses that might be seen driving by; however, no one would be concerned enough to take notice of what those people did, or

where that carriage went. This fact reduced the risk of being seen, heard, or discovered to almost zero. There was a none to well known entrance to the catacombs behind the old Monastery in a dead end alley that had been used exclusively by the Shinsengumi during the Revolution. It was for the transfer of Political prisons because of its well- concealed site. It was the perfect entrance into the catacombs to use if one wanted to hide a hostage in the old underground prison cells without

being seen.

"I admit, it is a sound theory, and it is true. It would be more than difficult to establish a regular pattern of comings and goings into the prison because of the secrecy of the entrance to the catacombs that enters in behind the old Monastery." Aoshi looked surpised. "You did not know about an entrance that close to the prison itself?" Kenshin smiled apologetically. "Do not feel foolish, My Friend. There are few, if any who even know of that particular entrances existence. It was used

strictly by the Shinsengumi during the War." Kenshin absently scratched his head. "The old prison definitely would be a way to incarcerate a hostage without bonds or fear of escape, and there would be very little risk of being discovered."

"That was Misao's thought as well." Kenshin looked at Aoshi in bewilderment. "I mean, that she believes by allowing the hostage freedom of movement it would keep him in better physical condition. Thus he would stay healthier than a hostage who is kept bound. Thusly, he would be a better sacrifice." Aoshi sighed in relief as Kenshin nodded in understanding.

"I would tend to agree with her. It would keep his blood flowing and muscles from wasting away." Violet eyes narrowed dangerously, and hands clenched into white fists as Kenshin's anger mounted. "But there are no windows or open air exchanges in that prison. Many prisoners died in there from suffocation because of lack of fresh air. If she does have him in there, I do hope she realizes she needs to leave the outer door open once in awhile so he does not chock to death from lack of breathable air." Kaoru studied Kenshin's profile feeling his anger climbing to a dangerous level. She laid a soothing hand on his tense shoulder, and he turned to look into her concerned face. "I am all right." He spoke reassuringly and covered her hand with his. "You mustn't worry."

"It is almost time, isn't it." Her voice dropped low but remained clear and steady. Resolute deep blue eyes scanned his handsome features as if they were trying to memorize every detail from the tiny golden flecks in his amethyst eyes, to the faint scar along the right corner of his mouth. There was a great sadness reflected within those endless blue oceans, but there was also unconditional respect and love.

"Yes. It is almost time. Do you still understand?" His hand reached out and touched her face tenderly. "Do you still know why I must leave you here?" Kenshin could feel himself slowly sinking into those beautiful cobalt blue oceans, but he did not fight the sensation. Instead, he embraced it and let himself be swept away.

"Yes." Shadowed blue eyes dropped and her head fell to rest on his shoulder. "I understand, but that does not mean I have to agree with it or like it."

"No. It does not mean either of those things. I only ask that you understand and do what I tell you too. Even if this is the only time in our lives you do. Please do what I am telling you too." He kissed the top of her head then rested his cheek against her hair. "I love you, Kaoru, and you must stay behind this time. I am not giving you a choice, and I will accept no arguments from you. You will stay here."

"I will." The agreement was given in the tiniest whisper, but it was given. Kenshin put an arm around her and hugged her gently.

"I love you, Kaoru. Never forget that. No matter what happens. I love you, and I swear I will come back."

She looked up into his face. "How can you promise that, Kenshin? You most of all know what you are leaving to face. How can you make me that promise?"

"Because I have promised myself a life with you. I want a life with you that is filled with love, laughter, the smell of your burnt cooking....and children." He kissed her nose. "Our children, Kaoru. I promised myself we would grow old together, and so we shall."

"Kenshin... " Her arms hugged him with all their strength, and she hid her face in his neck.

"Do you believe me?"

"Yes."

"Look at me, Kaoru. Look at me and tell me you believe me." Lifting her head out of the curve of his neck, Kenshin locked gazes with Kaoru's deep blue eyes.

"I believe you, Kenshin." As her hands rose to cup his face, Kenshin fell into her eyes again. Kaoru pressed her forehead against his as she continued speaking. "I love you, and I believe you will come back. And when you do, I will be here waiting for you. I promise."

Aoshi and Misao sat across from the lovers as they hugged and kissed each other. Both were staring at folded hands in their respective laps desperately trying not to look at one another. Aoshi was painfully aware of Misao and her close proximity to him. Misao on the other hand, was fighting the urge to wrap her arms around Aoshi and hug and kiss him like Kaoru was doing to Kenshin. Because, deep in her heart, she was just as frightened for his life as Kaoru was for Kenshin's, but neither of them moved an inch. They just sat side by side and stared at their hands.

"Aoshi," Kenshin's voice pulled Aoshi out of his Misao-dream. "We should to check out your theory about the prison. The sooner the better."

"Agreed. We should go now while there is still much of the day left. I will find Seta-san. I am certain he will want to join us." Aoshi climbed to his feet and bowed to Kenshin. "I will return

when I find him, and then we will leave. Is that satisfactory?"

"Of course. Aoshi?" Kenshin stopped the tall ninja before he could disappear out the door. "Thank-you... brother." Aoshi nodded and left with Misao following in his wake. "Nearly too late." he whispered as he stroked Kaoru's hair. "So close. Too close, maybe. Closing his eyes, he breathed a prayer against the crown of his beloved's head. "Kami-sama, bless us and grant us the speed of the mighty winged Eagle that we may cross this city on swift and sure feet. Give to our souls your blessings of strength, resolve, and purpose. May we bravely face whatever may stand in our path with dignity, honor, and courage." Kaoru muffled a sob against his chest. "Grant me this boon, Oh Blessed Kami. Let me find our Son. I beg this of you with all my heart and soul. Please let me find our Son... alive."



*******************

The scraping of the cell door rubbing against the rough stone floor woke him from his dream. It had been a very good dream. He dreamt he was back at the dojo with Kenshin and Kaoru. Sano, Megumi, Dr. Gensai, and the girls were all there too. Even Tae and Tsumbe.

They were all setting around the outside table eating something that tasted better than fish and rice, and everybody was really happy. Kenshin and Kaoru were acting kind of funny. They were hugging and kissing each other and laughing a lot, and they were dressed in the nicest clothes he had ever seen either of them wear.

He could remember seeing something blue glittering on Kaoru's finger as she danced around in the grass with Kenshin like a couple of Baka's. Hey! They were Married! That was it. It was a bit dinner party, and everybody was there to celebrate Kenshin and Kaoru's wedding.

Yahiko jerked int a sitting position. Kenshin and Kaoru married?? Could that really happen? WOW! Imagine that. It would be like having a real family with real parents.

"Hello, precious Boy." The smooth purring voice dragged him back to the reality of the dirty dark little cell he had been living in for the past several days. He was not sure how many had passed, but felt like it was at least four.

A wolfish snarl curled his lips as he watched the beautiful green-eye woman draw closer to him carrying a burning torch. She was draped in a flaming red satin gown that showed a great deal more than it covered, and her pale flesh glowed in the torchlight. "How are you today? Tell me, are you looking forward to your party? It is coming sooooon, sooooon, sooooon." She pirouetted and sang the words in a breathy thin soprano voice. An evil wicked smile crossed her full lips making them look more like a bloody gash across her face than a mouth. Yahiko had decided the last time he had seen her, that she was not very pretty anyway. In fact, he thought she was uglier than both Kaoru and Misao, and that meant she was really UGLY.

"Do you think you are trying to be funny, Lady? 'Cause if you are, you're not doing a very good job of it. In fact, you stink at it." Yahiko cleared his throat and spit a wad of phlegm on floor close to her red satin covered feet. Casually she looked down at it, and then favored him with a potent glare that would have cowed anyone else. Yahiko just smirked at her as he wiped his chin on the sleeve of his light green gi.

"You are a foolish disgusting boy, aren't you." Glittering green eyes shimmered and changed to a liquid silver that moved like water in her face. " You think you are so smart and clever. Do you think any of this makes you look, or sound brave?" Mocking giggles tumbled over her red lips. "I do not think so. Soon you will not sound so brave. Very soon, and I will enjoy watching you break into little terrified pieces of quivering human waste." Her voice turned to a snarl. "I will see you afraid! I will!" Elsbeth's torch was throwing strange shadows around the small cell, and Yahiko's face was shifting and twisting itself into a wolfish snarl showing gritted teeth and flaming blood red eyes.

"I am not afraid of you, Bitch." He snapped and stood up. Elsbeth watched him warily as he faced her straight on. "Personally, I think it is the other way around." His eyes were beginning to cast a faint light of their own into the dimness of the cell. "I think YOU are the Fool, and I think it is YOU who is afraid." Yahiko spit on the floor again. This time it was much closer to her feet, and then he met her boiling gaze boldly. Almost arrogantly. "Why don't you come over her closer

to me? Huh, Lady? Why don't you ever get close enough to touch me?" Yahiko took a quick threatening step towards Elsbeth who found herself taking an unwanted step backwards. "I thought so." An evil mocking laugh tumbled from his snarling lips. "You are the one who is afraid." He laughed at her again. The wicked and delighted sound of a triumphant winning coupe. "Ha Ha! You are afraid of ME!"

"Shut-up!you mealy mouthed lying Brat!." She spat viciously. "Or else I'll forget I need you, and slit your fucking throat right now!" She was breathing fast and heavy like she had been running, and her head was pounding with the adrenaline rush. "Do you know what I am? DO

YOU?? You are such a stupid idiot. You would be more respectful if you understood anything, you stupid imbecilic toad" Her eyes grew huge and round in her face, and they were turning the strangest color of white. The features of her face where actually beginning to shift inside and around themselves. Elsbeth was changing shape right before Yahiko's eyes, and he was stunned, but he refused to give in to fear.

"I know what you are!" He shouted back at her defiantly despite the chill that ran up his spine as he watched the changes shifting over her face like ripples in a pond. "You are Witch or something, but I am still not afraid of YOU!" His hands balled into white fists at his sides and he crouched into the battou-jusu stance, his eyes flaming brighter like bloody embers in his face. "You cannot touch me! I will never let you touch me! NEVER!" Inside of Yahiko's young body his soul and spirit began to burn with a violent rage. A pulsing energy ball started to form inside his chest, and it burned warmly with a foreign yet familiar heat. It felt as if it were trying to push out of his body. It found exits through his pores, eyes, mouth, and nose. It was such a primitive feeling within his soul, that it only registered on a very basic level within his mind, so he barely paid it any head at all. All he really understood was he was angry and afraid, and this woman-thing in front of

him was to blame. He was not going to let her get away with that. He would make her pay. Somehow he was going to make her pay. The pulsing grew stronger and the rhythm faster as his emotions increased in intensity. The air around Yahiko became energized with a protective wall

created by his spiritual ki, and it grew stronger and stronger as it followed in the wake of his emotional storm cloud.

"A Witch you say?" Her voice dropped to a husky hollow tone, and she laughed making the most horrible sound Yahiko had heard out of her yet. "I am much more than just a ignorant witch, or haven't you figured that out yet, you stupid, stupid Boy? " Elsbeth took a purposeful step

towards the raging boy-animal in front of her. "I am The Angel of Destruction." The teeth in her mouth elongated and became razor sharp fangs and daggers as she spoke, and the gash that was her mouth became a great gapping maw in her face. "I am the rightful heir to the Throne of Chaos." Her face stretched and her nose pushed outward into a small snout, and her ears grew upward into great points that pealed back from the sides of her head. "One day I will rule the land of Darkness, and no one will be able to stop me from doing anything I want. No one." The long beautiful waves of chestnut hair that hung past her waist twisted and whipped through the air as they changed into great long bushy ropes. Her face was close to his now, and she was smiling at him insanity showing clearly in those shimmering liquid eyes. The features of her once beautiful face had shifted into something resembling a creature looking part bat, part cat, and part demon. To say that she was hideous would be and understatement. Elsbeth Katsura had evolved into a living breathing nightmare, but Yahiko was way beyond feeling any kind of fear by then. He met the Beast that was the Devil's Whore face to face, eye to eye, toe to toe and he did not waver.

"Geez Lady," he sneered. "If I had known you were such an ugly bitch, I would not have eaten whatever slop it was your lackey brought me this morning 'cause I really feel like puking all over your twisted ugly bat face about now. By the way, what happened to your hair? It sure turned into a stringy fucking mess, but considering what you look like, I guess it works out." Elsbeth screamed in wounded feminine outrage at his blatant mocking insults about her Dark Devine Form, and she rushed blindly towards him dropping her torch on the floor. Long nimble fingers tipped with deadly talon-like claws darted out to seize him by the throat with the intent of snapping that fragile neck, but suddenly he was no longer there. He had vanished.

"Too slow, Busu! Dr. Gensai's granddaughters can move faster than your slow ugly ass." He was laughing at her... again. He was mocking her. The insolent Brat was mocking her. Enormous amounts of anger filled her soul, and she arched her neck shrieking in furious rage.

"I will kill you! I am going to tear your heart out and drink your blood, and then I am going to rip your body to pieces and take your soul. Do you hear me? Do you hear me you fucking Brat!? You are going to die screaming and pissing your pants like a baby, and daddy will not be

there to save you! No one is going to save you! No one! Do you hear me, precious? DO YOU HEAR ME?"

"I think even dead people can hear you, Busu." Yahiko's voice was directly behind her, and she whirled around slashing blindly with her claws only to find that he had disappeared again. "You really are a slow-assed bitch aren't you. I bet I could beat you with one arm tied behind my back. Ha ha ha ha." The voice was close. It almost sounded like it was right next to her, but before Elsbeth could turn in that direction, she was suddenly punched hard and sharp in the center of her

back.

"Oooooff!" Elsbeth went flying through the air landing near the open cell door where Raul stood, his mouth gapping open in shock and disbelief. She lay on the dirty floor in a heap of dusty red satin, stunned for several long seconds before struggling in an ungainly fashion to her feet. When Raul tried to help her up, she furiously shook him off, and one look at her face made him take several steps back. If she did not want his help, that was fine with him.

Elsbeth had returned to her full human form, but the mask of fury on her face was horrible to behold. She stood trembling with barely contained rage, her small hands clenched into fists at her sides, her long chestnut hair hanging in a tangled mass all about her, and her red satin dress hung off one shoulder threatening to spill her breasts free of the low bodice. As she slowly turned around, her head was dipped low at an attack angle, the look in her shimmering silver eyes was lethal, and it was trained on the Wildling in the cell behind her. The torch lay where she had dropped it in the middle of the floor, and it threw its golden yellow light across the small cell.

The boy-animal remained crouched in the battou-jusu as if he expected her to come back. His flaming bloody eyes had not dimmed, but appeared to have brightened. Their reddish stain could be seen even more clearly on the floor around him. Elsbeth cocked her head cautiously. She

could feel the power of his ki pulsing around the small cell, and she moaned uncontrollably. The texture of the energy was intoxicating to her. She wanted to bathe in it, revel in it, consume it, but this was not the time. Something else had to be done. The hierarchy of power needed to be established.

"How dare you touch me." Elsbeth hissed between clenched teeth. "No one touches me unless I allow it. No one." She entered the center of the cell again, moving gracefully and with purpose like a cat stalking a mouse. "The last person who touched me without permission was

punished severely." She circled Yahiko to his left, and he moved with her never taking his eyes off her. "I cut off all of his fingers, had them cooked, and made him eat them." Her smiled warmed at the memory. "After that, he could not touch anyone. I think he learned his lesson. Don't you?"

"I would like to cut off your head and feed it to the sharks. Do you think that would teach you a lesson?" It was a warning growl that told her she was too close for his liking. She smiled with satisfaction and moved an inch closer.

"I do not think you will ever get that close to me again, Precious." Her eyes narrowed into silver slits, and suddenly her hand shot out towards him as she cried in a loud voice. "I bind you from raising your hand against me! I bind you from approaching me! I bind you to my will and my will alone!" She closed her eyes and felt the weight of her power stretched forward to consume the boy, but then something was wrong.

Something was blocking her way, and to her shock it was beginning to push her back. Elsbeth frantically reached down deeper into her power core for more strength and pushed harder against the blocking force. When she felt the blockage giving way beneath her increased strength, she

triumphantly pushed onward toward her goal. Then everything went terribly wrong.

Elsbeths silver-green eyes flew open in stunned shock as white hot pain scorched across her mind. Yahiko stood before her in the same stance as he had been when she closed her eyes, but there was something very different about him. The snarl on his face had grown into a fierce grimace of gritted teeth and twitching cheeks, and the cords in his neck were standing out like fish bones. The muscles in both of his forearms were so taut every separation and attachment could be seen as he curled his fists towards his chest, but it was the change in his eyes that shocked her. They were no longer the brilliant bloody red they had been. They more closely resembled the color of new cherries. They were bright, and glowing a brilliant pale reddish-pink that filled the cell with enough light to illuminate the cracks in the walls. The level of power that emanated from him was terrific, and it was pushing her spell back

at her, and creating a terrible crushing pain inside her head.

"Impossible." She whispered. "Impossible." Instinctively her arms crossed in front of her face trying to protect herself from the impending death she knew was coming. A high pitched, hollow scream split the silence inside the cell as she felt the bones in her skull giving way beneath the crushing pressure, and then Raul was there thumping the boy on the head with the hilt of his short blade knocking him unconscious. Yahiko collapsed to the floor soundlessly. Both woman and man stood over him in disbelieving astonishment.

"What in the hell is he, Raul? He had enough strength to push me back. No one can do that. What is HE?" Her voice quavered with uncertainty. For the first time in her life, Elsbeth Katsura felt a twinge of true fear.

"I do not know, My Lady. Perhaps we should dispose of him and try to find another boy before the moon comes out."

"NO!" She slapped Raul hard across the face. "I do not want another boy. He is perfect." Her eyes glittered dangerously. "He is absolutely perfect. With this much energy and power within his soul the doorway will stay open forever. Forever Raul. Forever and ever." Her face turned dreamy as her thoughts drifted faraway. "It will not be long now, My Love." The words were spoken in the most loving tone, and Elsbeth looked like a young girl deeply in love and very happy.

Raul swallowed hard to get rid of the lump in his throat. Two days. Two days until the end of the world as everyone knew it. Part of him hoped he was dead by then.



*******************

"Did you feel that, Father?" Soujirou stopped walking, cocked his head to one side, and closed his eyes in concentration. "I distinctly felt a tremendous surge of power just now."

"So did I." Kenshin looked around to note what part of the city they were in. "It was very strong. I have never felt it before."

"Nor have I. " Aoshi stood next to Soujirou. "It was a very strange power. Almost like what touching an exploding firecracker would feel like, or being caught with in the explosion of fireworks." An speculative look crossed Aoshi's thin face." Tell me, if indeed Yahiko is the Wildling we believe him to be, what would his ki feel like? And more importantly, what would it feel like if it were fully unleashed?"

"That is a good question." Kenshin srcratched his head absently. "No one has ever really had a chance to notice Yahiko's ki before. At least no one that I know of. I must admit I never looked for it when he was training at the dojo, and Kaoru does not know how to feel ki's."

"True," Aoshi rubbed his chin thoughfully. "I do not think anyone at the Aoiya noticed it either during the fight with the Juppon gottena."

"So I guess that means we are looking for something none of us have ever felt before." Dammit! Kenshin cursed to himself. "What if we walk right over it and not notice it? We might walk right by Yahiko and realize it."

"Something tells me that will not happen." Soujirou smilled. "If little brother is indeed a Wildling, then his ki would be so foreign and so extreme to us there would be no mistaking it for what it is. It would register so big to us we would know it. Trust me, Father."

"You really think so, sotsu?" Kenshin could not help his worry or his fear.

"Yes. In fact, I think that is what we just felt."

"Nani?? What makes you think that?" Kenshin met Soujirou's gaze.

"Well, the surge in power and energy was very defiantly foreign and it was very, very strong, but it was also very irregular. Did you notice?" Kenshin and Aoshi looked at each for a moment then nodded. "Yahiko has no idea how to control his ki. He may not even realize that he has one yet which would make it a very dangerous source of power for him. It would also be a very dangerous weapon if inflicted upon anyone around him."

"Anyone? Literally meaning 'anyone'." Worry wrinkled Kenshin's brow. "A naturally born ki would be unaturally powerful just like the speed of your shicuchi, would not it?" Kenshin looked directly at Soujirou who nodded.

"Yes, I think so." Aoshi nodded and grew thoughtful. "Are you wondering about his range, Kenshin? Or are you thinking of something else?"

"At the moment I am thinking of his range. The prison is almost directly beneath us, but it is at least 60 feet under ground. If his ki can reach us from that far away, and if it is as strong as Soujrou's shicushi is fast, then he may have the ability to destroy and entire city block." Kenshin met the dark jade eyes of his ki brother and the blue-grey of his son. The three of them became very quiet.

"Do you know how dangerous he could really be especially since he does not know how to control it?" Jade eyes narrowed in speclation. "The shock waves themselves could possibly be the source of wide spread devistation." Thin black brows rose as Aoshi's face took on a look of stunned awe. "Incredible. What do you suppose he could do if he were to focus in on one person?"

"In control or out of control?" Kenshin looked like he really did not want to answer that question.

"Out of control." Aoshi and Soujrou both looked at Kenshin waiting for his answer.

Violet eyes narrowed to mere slits and he looked away. "I should think total annihilation."

"What exactly do you mean 'total annhilation'? I realize the person would very likely be killed by the force, but I feel you think it would be much more than that. I had thoughts at one time that he might have the ability to explode or crush an enemies internal organs. Is this your thought as well?"

"No."

"Then please explain."

"You are talking about fire crackers, Aoshi. I am talking about dynamite." Kenshin locked eyes with the tall ninja and watched as his metaphoric explanation sank in.

"Dear God!" Aoshi went pale.

"Father.... " Soujirou did not look much better than Aoshi. "You are talking about little brother being able to cause bodies to explode from the inside out. Like a bomb?"

"Something like that." Kenshin's voice sounded dry and flat. "It seems to make sense to me. If his gift is as strong as yours, then his limits are endless. He may be capable of anything."

"Especially while the ki remains uncontrolled." Aoshi whispered in awe. "It's limits would be the boundaries of his fury, and other emotions. The more out of control and powerful his emotions become, the more powerful the force and range of his ki. Fear, Fury, Rage, Grief. Any of the stronger emotions could cause catastrophic consequences depending where he directed them and at whom."

"Amazing." Soujirou touched the hilt of the sword he now wore on his hip. "It must be a terrible thing to live with. Especially if he does not know it is there."

"Why do you say that, Seta-san?"

"The burden of carrying it with you every day. The fear of yourself. Being afraid of your own temper and what you could do if you get mad. Not being able to understand why you do the thing's you do. I would call that a terrible burden to live with. Would not you?"

Aoshi dropped his eyes and studied a spot on the toe of his boot. "I had not thought of it in that particular context, Seta-san. I believe you are right. It would be a burden." He looked at Kenshin's worried face. "We need to find him quickly."

"Soujirou, would you recognize that energy signature if you felt it again?"

"Yes, Father. It was very clear. I would know it if it came to me again."

"All right. Then lets go. The Monastery is only a little bit farther, and we can use the alley entrance in the back." The three men, all carrying weapons; Kenshin had his sakabatou, Aoshi his double kodachi, and Soujirou once more carried his long blade Katana, strode purposefully down the sparsely populated street. The few people there watched them, but no one took notice. They passed by unseen by evil eyes.



********************

"Make sure that door is locked very tightly, Raul. I do not want anyone even accidentally stumbling onto it, do you understand me?" Elsbeths voice was harsh and filled with anxiety. This had been a long day for her. Nothing had gone right since she came to see her precious boy, but then nothing seemed to have gone right since the day Raul had taken him. However, she refused to relinquish her grasp on him. His incredible amount of spirit energy was too perfect for her needs. It was just the right ingredient to finish the incantation that would open the door between Earth and Hell, and keep it open... forever, and she would not give him up.

"Yes, My Lady. I will make sure the door is tightly locked. Are you certain you do not want me to help you into the carriage first?"

"No. I can manage on my own, this time. You take care of the door. I will be fine, just hurry."

"Yes Ma'am." He helped her out the large wooden door then watched as she trudged up the steep stairway. Raul heaved a great sigh of relief as he watched her disappeared around the first of several turns, and walked back to the prison to feed the brat and lock everything back up.



********************

"You have to be very careful when you go down the stairway. It is made of small stones, and it is very steep. More than one Monk lost his life over the years falling down those treacherous steps. A few Shinsengumi as well." Kenshin favored his two companions with a bland smile. "So watch your step." They were walking past what was left of the Monastery. Once it had stood as a great icon of beauty within the city. The large window had been hand painted and was heralded to

have been an irreplaceable work of art. It was lost to the people of Kyoto since the great fires of the Bakumatsu, and now lived only in the memories of those who had lived through the great fires that had destroyed most of the city.

Kenshin looked up as he walked past the burnt out building. He remembered coming here to hide from the Shinsengumi many times after an assassination, and he remembered that window. It had depicted The Pathway to Spiritual Enlightenment. The Pathway to Heaven. The Road to

Buddha. It had always both intrigued and irritated him whenever he looked at it. Its beauty was undeniable, but the promise of peace and harmony it gave was a lie in his heart. He had never believed very much in the Path of Enlightenment. Being the Battousai had destroyed many of those

beliefs and hopes within him. With each life he took, a little bit more of his soul had died until there was not enough of it left to walk down the Path so there was no reason to believe anymore. Besides, he had rationalized to himself, if God promised Peace and Harmony, how could he allow something as horrible as the Revolution to happen? Kenshin had blamed a lot of the blood shed on God back then. If Buddha cared about his children, he would help them, but instead he let them suffer and die

screaming in puddles of blood and filth. The Battousai had cursed God. He had cursed all of the Gods for the Revolution, and he had cursed them for the blood on his hands and the guilt in his heart.

'Not any more.' He thought gently as he summoned the memory of that great and beautiful window. "God is not responsible for war and the death and the destruction it brings. Nor is he responsible for the sorrow and grief that follow in its wake. Men are responsible. Men make war,

and only men can bring a stop to it. Forgive me, Kami-sama. I was a foolish tortured man who knew only pain and suffering himself. Thank-you for showing me the light at last.'

"You know this place, Father?" Soujirou had moved to walk next to Kenshin.

"Yes. I know it well. It was often a sanctuary for me during the Bakumatsu."

"I never saw the Window. It was destroyed before I came to Kyoto, but I have heard it was beautiful. A miracle to behold some say."

"It was most beautiful, but a miracle? I do not know if I would call it a miracle, but it did make an impression on me back then." A sardonic smile crossed his face.

Soujirou studied the look on Kenshin's face, and found it confusing. "What sort of an impression? Your face speaks volumes, but of what I am not sure." A chuckle bubbled out of his mouth.

"You noticed that did you." Kenshin laughed. "It is actually quite an irony. The Battousai hiding in a place of Peace while he is being hunted by a pack of hungry wolves after he just assassinated a key member of the Shogunate."

"Hmmmm. I see your point. It is quite ironic. I suppose you were not a very religious man either." They both laughed. Aoshi allowed a rare smile to curl his handsome mouth as his listened to their conversation.

"No, Soujirou. I was not a religious man. Quite the opposite if the truth be told. In fact, there was a point in my time as the Battousai that I blamed God for the Bakumatsu. I felt if Buddha

really loved his children, he would put a stop to all the bloodshed and sorrow, but since he did not, the War was as much his fault as it was mans."

"A twisted sad point of view, my brother. Although I felt much the same way when I stopped believing in God and prayers." Kenshin and Soujirou stopped at turned to look back at Aoshi.

"How old were you?" Kenshin asked. "I was almost 16."

"I was a little older. Nearly 18 when I lost my faith. You would have been into your 20's by then, and long into your wanderings. I was a member of the personal body guards to a very rich and very cruel Drug Lord. It was before I joined the Onniwabanshuu. I was forced to watch him do unspeakable things to people from all walks of life. Women, children, the old, the young. It did not matter to him. He was a masochist and the more pain he could inflict upon human flesh the more pleasure he felt." The features of Aoshi's face had turned cold and stern. He looked frozen. "I learned not to feel anything while I guarded him, otherwise I would have lost my mind listening to the screams and watching all of the gore. He was an animal." Jade eyes, clear as green ice locked with the steadying gaze of Kenshin's strong violet. "I killed him one day." Soujirou sucked in a surprised breath but said nothing.

"In his bed?" Kenshin held Aoshi's eyes.

"No, but I thought about it. I decided I did not want to ruin the bedding. The servants had served beneath years and years of abuse from him. I did not want them to have to clean up his blood and filth as well."

"So, where did you do it?"

"We had gone hunting for Pheasant. He liked Pheasant and prided himself on being a crack shot with a rifle. I had become his favorite over the years because I never said anything. I just did everything he asked of me without question, and I did it very well. I was always the one he took hunting with him because I was the one he trusted the most."

"I see."

"He had just shot a very large bird. We dismounted our horses and went to inspect his kill. He was boasting and bragging as usual about his prowess and skill with the rifle when it happened."

"Did you breakdown?"

"I suppose you could describe it that way." Aoshi's jade eyes took on an almost glassy appearance as he remembered that day long ago. "I looked into his fat red face, and all I could see was a disgusting slug that needed to be squashed beneath my boot. So I drew my sword and cut off his head. I had thought of killing him so many times, but I had never actually followed through with it."

"What made this time different, Aoshi?" Kenshin put his hand on Aoshi's shoulder.

"I was sworn to protect his life, you see. Sworn to give my life for his without question, and I would have if the situation had ever occurred. It was my duty, and I would have kept it. That was the honorable thing to do. You do understand what I am trying to say... Himura?" Kenshin nodded. "I would have always abided by my honor to protect his life with my own, but I had never sworn I would not kill him if the situation presented itself. I stood looking into his tiny pig eyes and I knew I could not allow him to live any longer. I had prayed night after night for God to strike him dead and free me from that nightmare, but every morning I woke up and he was still alive and I was still there. I suddenly realized there was no God, and if he was going to die, I was going to have to kill him myself." Aoshi broke contact with Kenshin's eyes to look into the azure sky. "So I did, without regret or remorse, and I wiped my bloody katana off on his blue

velvet gi. Then I mounted my horse and rode away without ever looking back."

"What happened after that?"

"Nothing. We were in a very densely wooded area, and it was full of wolves. His body was never found. Neither of us ever returned to the Mansion, and no trace of either of us was ever discovered. We were both presumed dead. His drug syndicate passed to his son who ran it into ruin within the year. No one ever came looking for me. I really do not think anyone cared that he was gone."

"Is that when you joined the Onniwanbanshuu?" Violet eyes studied the stony profile of the dark ninja.

"Yes. I was looking for something to do with myself, and I met Okina one night in a bar. Actually in the middle of a bar fight. He came and pulled me out before I had my head bashed in. I never could hold my sake. I woke up the next day with a hangover and a proposition. Okina

recognized me. He had seen me a few years earlier during one of the Dojo fights my old employer used to host. Okina had been there as a bodyguard for someone else. I was fighting. The Old Man always made me fight because I always won."

"It is good Okina found you, Aoshi. It is good you are here with the Onniwabanshuu. If you were not, you would not be here with me and Soujirou today, and you would have not been there to help pull me out of hells pit either. I am sad for what happened in your life, but I am very

glad you are here... My brother."

"Thank-you Himura. It is important to me to hear you say that." He met Kenshin's understanding gaze and offered a small half smile. "Let us go find your son, shin-yuu." The three turned and resumed their path towards the alley walking in relative silence.

"It is very strange and sad to me." Soujirou's soft cultured voice broke the silence. "But it would seem not one out of the three of us have anything of joy or value to bring with us from our past except our talents as swordsmen." His blue-grey eyes looked straight forward as did his two companions. "I wonder why that is? And I wonder why in this time of extreme peril we have come together as a family to fight for everything that is pure and clean in this world? Why would God choose three such lost and blood stained souls to be pulled out of hell, and given a second chance to live a life of peace and love, and why was it we three who were chosen?" His words trailed off as he turned introspective. They walked on a few more moments and then Kenshin spoke in a low and thoughtful tone.

"I have a theory if you would like to hear it."

"I would." The two other men spoke in unison together.

"It has to do with our individual ki's," Kenshin rested his hand on the hilt of the sword. As he drew in a breath to continue, they turned the corner into the alley, and came to a dead stop. Parked close to the abandoned building was the same carriage Kenshin had seen the day they were all standing outside of the Police Station. "What the... " They swiftly approached the carriage, and found it empty. The two perfectly matched black horses harnessed to it were well taken care of, and well trained. They stood docilely as the men inspected them. "I have seen this carriage before."

"Where? When?" Aoshi's brows were knitted in confused concern. He had a very bad feeling about this whole situation. Something felt.... wrong about it.

"That day Kaoru and I were at the Police Station when we met Thian and Ishida. We were standing outside and it drove past us. I remember it because it gave me a very odd feeling when it went by."

"What kind of a feeling?" The level of Aoshi's concern was rising, and Soujirou was starting to look around uneasily.

"I am not sure really. It just made me feel very uneasy, and I had the strangest feeling I would be seeing it again. And now I have." Narrow purple eyes met Aoshi's worried jade. "I have a bad feeling about this." Kenshin looked around the dead end alley.

"Father... someone is coming." Soujirou's voice was a whispered hiss as he crouched down low resting his had on the hilt of his katana. "The stairs." He indicated with a movement of his head. "They are coming up the stairs."

"Get behind the carriage." Kenshin ordered everyone in a fierce whisper, and they dove behind the baggage compartment at the rear. Carefully each of them took a stance so that he could see around the edge and watch the stairway. Faint rustling sounds could be heard as well as labored breathing, and it was becoming louder. Then, to his absolute horror, Kenshin watched a woman step out of the stairwell and shake out the full skirt of her flaming red satin dress.

Her long chestnut hair was a riotous mess that hung down her back and past her waist. The gown was torn over the left shoulder, and the already scant bodice was threatening to dump her breasts out of its less than adequate confines. There was evidence of dirt on the once beautiful dress and on her as well. All of this surprised Kenshin because this was a woman who was more meticulous about her appearance that anything else. 'I wonder what happened?' He thought to himself. 'Whatever it was, she came out on the wrong end of the deal.' For some reason that brought a wicked smile to his face.

"Dammit!" They heard her curse as she took in the damage to her dress. "Fucking kid." Kenshin and Soujirou exchanged a meaningful look. Did that mean they were right and Yahiko really was here? Their eyes were drawn back to her when she started talking again. "Fucking little

animal. Next time I'll claw his bloody eyes out, I swear I will. Who in the hell does he think he is screwing around with?" She jerked and yanked at the torn fabric until the ruined piece came free. All three men were holding their breath waiting to see if she was going to stay in the dress or not. In the end, the dress held. There was a collective sigh of relief.

"How did he do that?" She had started to walk in a circle around the small space between the carriage and the stairwell. "I do not understand how he could have possibly had enough energy to push me back. Not only did he push me back, but he hurt me, the little Bastard." The feeling of evil that pulsed around her was making Kenshin sick to his stomach. It was the same feeling he had gotten up on the mountain. He just hoped he did not vomit right here. "He cannot be stronger than

me. I will not accept that. I will not." Her voice quavered and Kenshin sensed fear. Interesting. That was when he decided to move, and slipped out from behind the carriage without a sound.

"Hello, Elsbeth..." He let his voice slide smoothly from his throat so that it revealed nothing of his emotions, and he was satisfied to see her stop in her tracks and freeze like an ice statue. "It has been many years, but you are as beautiful as ever you were."

Elsbeth felt the breath in her lungs freeze and her heart stop beating. She could not breath, she could not move, she could not think. How could it be? He was right behind her. She knew it was him. That was a voice she would never, could never forget. A thousand memories flew through her mind in that split second. Memories of laughter, security, and making love. But the worst memory was the memory of how much they had loved each other. His pain filled face was still deeply imprinted on her mind from the day she left him in search of her dreams of glory and fame. Did she regret it? Did he? She knew she had to turn around and face him, but... Oh God!

"Himura..." His name finally fell from her lips. "Is that really you?" Her heart began beating again, and it felt like thunder inside her chest.

"Turn around and look for yourself, kirei." She shivered as he used the endearment he had always called her. Beautiful. He had always told her she was the most beautiful woman in the world. One hand rose to cover her thundering heart, and she slowly turned around to face the past

she never thought she would see again. He still looked very much the same as he had the last time she had seen him. Excepting his hair was much longer, and there was more wisdom and pain reflected in his eyes than she remembered being there before. Her delicate eyebrows knitted in

thought for a moment as she tried to remember how old he would be by now, and then raised high in astonishment when she realized he was past thirty. How was it possible? He was still so young looking. Still so....

"You are still so handsome." She choked past the lump in her throat. "I see you never got rid of that horrid pink gi you insisted on wearing all the time." A shaking smile crossed her stunned face. He chuckled softly.

"Of course not. It is comfortable, and the girl I bought it from said it looked good with my eyes." Her eyes fell as she blushed and laughed.

"That was a poor excuse then, and it still is now."

"I know." He shrugged. "But what else can I say? You would have thrown me out of the ikka if I said what really happened. So I had to come up with something." She giggled like a young girl as she met his laughing violet eyes.

"You think I did not know where you got it? Baka-Himura. I always knew."

"I figured you did, but I was not going to tell you I knew you knew. If I had, you would have made me get rid of it."

"True. But tell me one thing?"

"What?" His eyes danced with humor despite what he knew this woman was and had done.

"Was she worth it?" Elsbeth pursed her lips in a catty pout.

"You want the truth? Even after all these years?"

"Yes. Even after all these years."

"Yes, she was worth it." He automatically ducked. It was an ingrained response from being used to having things thrown at him, but nothing happened. He opened his eyes and peaked at her from his crouched position, and found her smiling at him.

"What are you doing?" She asked in a voice full of laughter.

"Well, you used to throw things at me when you got mad. I guess it was a natural response." He smiled and shrugged again.

"Well, you looked pretty silly. Stand up. I do not have anything to throw anyway." Kenshin rose to his full height again and flexed his shoulders loosening the joints. "You will never change will you?" She smiled and shook her head sending her long hair dancing about her.

"In some ways, no. But in other ways, I have changed very much." The smile vanished from his face, and his eyes grew serious. "So have you." Elsbeth felt a coldness slide over her, and she wondered what he thought he knew about her.

"Yes, I have changed. Everyone changes, Himura. It is what makes the world go -'round." It was a flippant remark that pinched at his heart. This was not the Elsbeth he remembered.

"I seems you have something that belongs to me, Elsbeth." Her grey-green eyes grew wide and round as she stared at him. "It is something very special to me. I want it back."

"I have no idea what you are talking about. I have nothing of yours. I never took anything that belonged to you when I left...."

"I am not talking about when you left." His rough voice cut her off sharply and she glared at him in angry offense. "I think you know exactly what I am talking about. Don't you, kirei."

Elsbeth felt a shiver of apprehension shudder though her as his eyes changed from a dark purple to a pale amber gold. "Are you brave enough to answer me with the truth, or must I prove to you that I know it for fact already?" The anger around him was palpable, and she realized that in all their time together she had never once seen him like this. She had heard the stories of the amber eyes, but she had never seen them. Now she stood before them a victim to their fury, and she was afraid. And she knew he knew she was.

"I will not tell you anything. You know nothing." She spun away from him with the intention of locking herself inside the carriage, but found her arm seized in the iron grip of his hand.

"I am not in the mood for games, Elsbeth. You have my Son, and I want him back." Terror crossed her face. How could he know she had the boy? It was impossible, but what had the Brat said? Himura would come no matter what. The boy had believed unconditionally that this man

would come for him, and so he had. She was stunned to the core of her being.

"I... I have no such thing... y-you have no right to accuse me of anything. Get your hands of me or I will scream." Shimmering liquid silver pools met and locked with twin burning orbs of flame.

"Go ahead and scream." He breathed into her startled face. "Scream as loud as you want, and I promise you, you will be dead long before anyone comes to save you. I will slit your lovely throat ear to ear and leave you for the strays. Do you understand?" She nodded her eyes wide.

"Good. I am glad. Now, answer me. Where is my son?"

"I..." She felt the world closing in on her, and everything started to turn black as the faint came upon her. The next moment Elsbeth was nothing more than limp weight in Kenshin's arms since he had kept her from falling to the ground.

"Kuso!" He cursed.

"We will take her with us." Aoshi was standing next to him looking at the unconscious woman. "If we keep her prisoner until after the full moon, she will not be able to perform the ritual."

"That is a reasonable idea." Kenshin nodded and hefted Elsbeth's limp form over his shoulder, and turned to leave.

"Eeiiiiihhh!" The screaming battle cry halted Kenshin and Aoshi mid stride. Both spun around to look behind them, and that was when they were finally introduced to The Man in Black. Raul was flying over the edge of the stone stairwell, short sword drawn in his right hand, and held high over his head. The trajectory of his flight was taking him directly into Soujirou's vulnerable back. The young man had stopped to adjust the strap on his shoe, and was still kneeling on one knee with his back exposed to the Desert Man.

"You are mine now, Girly-man!" He screamed as he swung the blade downward in a crushing and deadly blow meant to break Soujirou's back or cut him in half. "Die Now!"

"Soujirou!" Kenshin dropped Elsbeth's limp body on the ground and let his God-like speed carry him across the space that separated him from his son. "MOVE!" But Soujirou was already gone his shicuchi carrying him out, to the side, up the wall, and behind The Man in Black in a mere second or two without even stirring a breeze.

The next series of events happened in such a short span of time, that it was hard to determine it any real time had even past.

Kenshin arrived at the spot where Sourjirou had been kneeling only a split instant before, and his sakobatou slid smoothly from it's sheath. It was swung in a powerful upward arch faster than Raul's eyes could follow. Pain exploded across his chest as the reverse blade dug a deep

furrowed pathway into his flesh down to the bone. He felt his body being thrown up and backwards from the terrific force of the blow, and when he hit the solidity of the ground, it was like being thrown in front of a roaring Locomotive. The cracking sounds of ribs, both of this collar bones, and his back greeted him as he came to rest laying half way over the stairwell.

Kenshin had come to rest on one knee as well as leaning heavily on his sword. His breathing was harsh and coming from somewhere deep inside his chest. Soujirou ran to him and knelt next to him resting a hand of deep concern on his shoulder.

"Father...." His voice was filled with concern and awe. "Are you alright? Are you injured?"

"No, I am fine." A strong hand gripped the hand Soujirou had placed on his shoulder. "Are you alright? Are you hurt? Did he touch you at all?" Kenshin's worried eyes searched the face of his son.

Soujirou smiled and shook his head in humbled disbelief. "I am fine. He did not touch me."

He helped Kenshin to his feet and embraced him. "You were trying to save me... again." He murmured into Kenshin's neck. "And with your Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki no less."

"Only the best for my son." They looked at each other and laughed softly.

"Thank-you. I am humbled. I did not know it could be used to defend another person."

"Neither did I." Their eyes met one last time and they shared a personal message of love between them. "I guess it is nice to know it can be." Soujirou nodded in agreement. "We should go see to our... friend." They walked over to the wounded man who lay bloodied and broken on the stones. Kenshin knelt down next to his head which was hanging over the edge of the stairwell. He was conscious.

"What is your name?"

"Raul." He rasped in his strange accent.

"You are... Aisan?"

"Arabic." Kenshin nodded.

"Do you know what this woman is, and what she has been doing?"

"Yes."

"And you serve her?"

"Yes." His voice was fading to a whisper.

"Why? Your people do not believe in the sacrifice of human flesh. Why would you do this?"

"Gold....."

"I see." Kenshin looked over the man's injuries. "I cannot help your injuries, Raul. You are going to die. I am sorry. It was not my intention to kill you because I have sworn an oath to never kill. It has been 12 years since I killed a man."

"Your sword.... It is very strange."

"It has a reverse blade. It is not meant to kill. Your fall has killed you, but I am the one who caused your fall. So, I am still ultimately responsible for taking your life. I am sorry."

"Do not be sorry, my friend. You have answered my prayers."

"I have? How is it I have answered prayers by taking your life?"

"I have prayed to be dead before the Lady could finish this last task. I did not want to be alive to witness.... to see... I am already damned, but I did not want to see Hell while there was life yet in my body." He coughed and blood started to drip out of the corners of his mouth and stain his yellow broken teeth.

"Then you know what she is planning to do. You know she is going to open a door to Hell that is meant to stay open forever. You know this."

"Yes."

"Raul, help me." Kenshin locked gazes with the dying man. "Where is my son? The boy you took from the Market, he was my son, Yahiko. Where is he? Is he here, inside the prison?"

"Yes. But you cannot get to him. No one can, except me."

"Why only you? Tell me."

"I am the only one who knows exactly which cell block, which cell row, and which cell he is in, and I am not sure there is enough time for me to tell you the way to get there." His dark brown eyes filled with tears. "Forgive me."

"Tell me what you know. Tell me." Kenshin pleaded, but it was already too late. Raul's eyes were turning dull as the life left his body. "Nooooo...." Kenshin grabbed the front of the man's black robe and shook him. "Do not do this to us. Tell me! Dear God, tell me. Pleeeaaasssee!" But Raul was gone. His prayer had been answered. "DAMMIT!!" Kenshin screamed as he stood up and blindly threw Raul's short sword down the alley in impotent fury. "GOD HELP US!!"

Soujirou grabbed his father and pulled him into a hard embrace as Kenshin's legs buckled beneath him and he fell to his knees under the weight of another failure. "God.... help me...." his voice was so faint against Soujirou's neck, the younger man was not even sure he had heard it.

"Father, you must not give up. WE must not give up." Soujirou tightened his arms around the man he loved most in the world. "As long as we are together, we can accomplish anything, and we will find little brother. WE will find him together, I promise we will, but you must not give up. I need you." He buried his face in the thick red hair. "Do you hear me, Father? I need you. I need you. I will always need you. Please do not give up. Stay with me. I need you."

Slinking behind them like a snake sliding through green boggy water, she moved across the short distance smoothly, silently, and deadly until she reached Raul's dead body. A delicate white hand fished in and out of folds, pockets, and pouches until she found the prize she sought. The old rusty key. Snatching it up, Elsbeth clutched it tightly to her chest as she looked warily at the two men kneeling only a few feet away from her. They were still wallowing in their grief like old women, and neither of them had noticed her. So much for the Great Battousai and his superhuman abilities. She had to clamp a hand over her own mouth to stifle the nervous giggles that threatened to leap out as she edged past him and his little minion. "You must be getting rusty, Himura." She

thought. "Or else you have just gone soft." A sneer curled her lips. Soft. Sentimental. Disgustingly paternal not to mention all honorable and respectable. He was taking responsibility for these people like they were his blood kin. Did he not realize that nothing was thicker than blood? Blood was Blood. If the Brat were her son, there would be no way in Heaven or Hell she would consider offering him up as a sacrifice. It would not matter how much power and energy he had or how badly she needed it, but he was not her son, so it did not matter. It did not matter to her whose son he was, but as the thought of blood and sons filtered through her frenzied evil mind, a long buried mental image began to surface and take shape in her mind.



A large edifice built of gray and white granite rose from within the deep woods of her homeland like the looming image of a great ghost. Hidden as it was from the main flux of the population, it rarely if ever had visitors and had been built to be completely self sufficient.

Emmeron's Peak. Elsbeth had grown up there as a child, and most of her memories revolved around the great keep. It's tall gray walls held many long kept secrets from generations of her family dating back hundreds of year, and now it held the most precious of Elsbeth's secrets. The secrets no one was ever meant to know, and she would never reveal even on her death bed. Everything would stay sealed up behind the great gray walls of Emmeron's Peak.

She roughly shook her head and cleared her mind of long past memories, and scolded herself on her weakness of not being able to control her own thoughts. Then she carefully unhitched one of the horses. They were docile as babies, and the gelding stood patiently while she removed the harness gear and released him from the carriage. She had to climb up on the carriage seat to get on the horses' back, but she did finally get seated and was about to leave when she found her dress was caught. Cursing she turned to see what it was stuck on.

It was stuck in Himura Kenshin's hand. "Leaving so soon, kirei?" His voice was cold, but his eyes burned a brilliant gold. "We are not finished talking."

"Yes, we are Himura. I have nothing else to say to you. Nothing."

"Where is my brother? Where is Aoshi?"

"Look for yourself. He should be more watchful over what he's watching than he was at watching over me. The stupid fool never knew what hit him." Kenshin's gaze shot up the alley and located the prone body of the tall ninja. "Do not worry. He is not dead. He will just have a good headache when he wakes up. Nice thing about old war zones... lots and lots of big stones just laying about."

"I see. If he is hurt permanently..... "

"Oh please. Do no threaten me Himura. We both know you could never hurt me." Inside, Elsbeth was desperately hoping her false bravado bluff would work and Kenshin would back down. It did not.

"If you believe that, then you are the true Fool, Elsbeth. It is true, I took a solemn oath 12 years ago to never kill again, but, as you so colorfully put it, change is what makes the world go around." His eyes became a murderous flaming gold that reached out and made her soul shrivel in terror. "But, if you hurt anyone I love, if you hurt my family, that oath means nothing to me. Do you understand me? It will mean nothing."

"You would kill me? Me? You loved me once, Himura. How could you kill me?" Her face was filled with horror, fear, and surprise.

"Could I kill you even if I once loved you? Yes. How could I kill you? With my own bare hands, kirei, without regret or remorse."

"You bastard." She hissed. "You would do that to me after everything I meant to you? After everything you felt for me?"

"What you meant to me?" He laughed, but it came out a sharp harsh sound that grated on her ears and brought tears to her grey-green eyes. "What I felt for you? I did not know what love was back then. What I have now is something worth living for." The sharp daggers of his eyes tore at her heart and soul. "Do you hear what I am saying, Elsbeth? I would have gladly died for you at any moment. I would have given my life to save you. That is how much I loved you, but the love I feel for Kaoru is different. Do you know why?" She shook her head as tears ran down her cheeks. "It is different because I love her enough to want to live. I. Want. To. Live." Elsbeth burst into sobs.

"I hate you."

"I hate you more." A tear ran down his face. "Give me my son."

"Never. You'll never see him again, I swear it Himura. You will never see your son alive again."

"Elsbeth!" The lion in him roared out in anguish and rage. "Give me my son!"

"NO!" She yanked her dress out of his hand. "If you want him so bad, go down there and find him yourself."

"How can I? You know it is a maze of five thousand cells. Do you even know where he is? Or are you mocking me? Are you going to let him suffocate or starve to death because you do not know where he is either?" She offered him a flat evil smile. "Elsbeth?" She kicked her horse into a brisk trot and left him standing in the street.

"Elsbeth?!"

"ELSBETH?! TELL ME?!"

"TELL ME?!"

"ELSBETH.... DAMN YOU!!"