Author's Note: I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter that I do! ^^ Oh and the reason that I did two lemons was because I promised to do them, so now it's basically just action and major tears…. Prepare for shocking happenings!







Chapter Fourteen: Plans of the Future







D.I.E.

Silence and Darkness fill my ears
A void of nothing fueling my fears
What hope is there for me?
When I spend this Darkness in Eternity
 
I smile despite my situation
A promise made with much conviction
And a promise kept by this nefarious one
I remember her eyes and how they shone
How my heart knew what it had won
 
When the beautiful sun dies
It will, in time, rise
And so must I be like the dying sun
Arising once more, my waiting done
 
But, for now I must rest and wait
In this darkness, at Hell's Gate
Even evil creatures such as me
Need the love of another, enough to die

From Fanfiction Wanderer (~Thank you~)









"This place is too quiet, where is everyone?" asked Yahiko as he walked into the mansion and threw his backpack on one of the coaches and sat down; Tsubame doing the same when she entered.

"They're in Metallic Kyoto," informed Anji as he closed the door and looked up when a cold and familiar ki reached his senses.

"Aoshi," greeted Tsubame as she stood up to greet the Vampire Lord, nudging Yahiko to do the same when they saw him at the foot of the stairs.

"What news do you have about the Temple?" demanded Aoshi as he walked into the living room and sat down before them, Anji taking his place on the sofa next to the teenagers.

"The twins are already there and Saitou should be there by now," stated Anji as he watched Aoshi, there was something about him that seemed different.

"I sensed a battle happening a just few miles from here while we were coming back, and I was sure that I sensed Vampires, werewolves, and zombies there," spoke up Yahiko as they all sat up straight in their seats.

"The others are there; do you wish to join them or head for the Temple?" asked Anji as he looked at his superior.

"What about us?" Yahiko asked.

"You two will stay here with Misao, the barrier should be able to protect you all from being sensed or anyone else from entering. We'll head for the Temple to make sure that nothing happens to the twins," said Aoshi as he stood up.

"Shouldn't we tell Anatra and…" began Anji as he followed Aoshi towards the door, but stopped when the other Vampire froze.

"They already know and are probably setting up the springs to purify the two. We need to bring them back," stated Aoshi as he turned around.

"Where is Misao?" asked Tsubame, noticing that their friend wasn't in the living room or kitchen at the time.

"She fell asleep; she'll come down later when she wakes up. Tell her that I'll be back within the hour," ordered Aoshi as he looked at Tsubame and then at Yahiko until the two both nodded.

"Since when did it matter that Misao knew when he'd be coming back?" whispered Yahiko to Tsubame who only shrugged.

"Let's go," said Aoshi as he opened the door and led the way out, ignoring the two's comment.

Cringing as the door slammed shut, the humans only exchanged perplexed glances before walking into the kitchen for a snack.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kaoru stared at the offered hand and looked into innocent amethyst depths and felt her heart pang with sympathy at the hurt eyes that had seen and lived through so much. She wanted nothing more than to hug him to her, to comfort him in his sorrow.

Snap out of it! It's a mask, can't you see? If you take his hand you're accepting your future to be by his side as a power hungry beast! Shouted Kirei; her voice knocking her other half away from her thoughts.

Shaking her head, Kaoru only stepped back and gasped when red blood lust eyes took place of the man that she had loved for two lifetimes now.

"You should have joined me Kaoru," snarled Battousai's deep and threatening voice as he advanced towards her, his red weapons pulsating with a new power.

"Stop…. Please," begged Kaoru as she stared at his eyes hoping desperately to find a glimpse of sanity in those crimson pools.

"Take the weapons Kaoru," said Battousai commandingly as he stared at her and then at the blue katana and wakizashi that were crying out for their former mistress.

"No…. NO! You can't make me, I'm not going to be like you, you can't…. Kenshin…" whispered Kaoru as tears flowed down her cheeks and she fell to her knees; tender hands covering her face, unable to believe that her mate had become so cold hearted.

A crash from the window caused Kaoru to snap her head up and stare as she saw five werewolves and vampires race towards them. Before she could choke out a warning towards the creature in front of her, she heard an agonizing scream as steel met flesh. Sapphire eyes widened into saucers as she saw the five drained of their blood from a weapon of destruction and their bodies forever vanishing from the world. Staring at the back of her lover's cape, she bowed her head in disappointment; he'd become what she had feared, he'd become a real monster.

"You're the darkness in eternity, you're the darkness," said Kaoru in monotone as her ebony locks covered her eyes.

Before the strongest being in the entire world could retort, the sound of glass cracking and lightning crashing caught his attention.

"Kenshin, we've managed to stall the others. Grab the weapons and leave before they get to it! We can't afford Shishio or Enishi's men getting the katana!" yelled Sano as he jumped into the room, the other five joining him.

They all stared at the scene before them, each heaving in gulps of air and ignoring the fact that they were all badly injured and soaked through because of the pouring rain outside. Their eyes widened when they saw that the weapons had a dark aura about them and the blood that stained the floor because when vampires or werewolves died they usually turned into ash. But the only thing that registered in their minds was that their Lord and Lady weren't exactly on good terms.

Battousai turned towards Kaoru and then looked at her weapons.

Slowly rising, Kaoru took a step back.

"Grab the swords and let's go," said Chou, wanting to get out while their enemy was still down.

Shura turned around and cursed inwardly when she realized that the creatures were slowly ascending the side of the building again as others broke into the building and were running up the stairs.

"We have to go before they corner us," added Kittra, she didn't understand why Kaoru was refusing to take hold of the weapons.

Battousai faced Kaoru with narrowed eyes.

What will you do now? Take the weapons so that they don't fall in the wrong hands, or leave them so that our enemy can have a chance to destroy us? Questioned Battousai telepathically; grinning because he knew that Kaoru would never want someone as cruel as Shishio or Enishi taking over the world.

Trembling, Kaoru reached out for the katana and wakizashi that seemed to sing as she got closer. Closing her hands she grasped the two items and snapped open her eyes when she felt a jolt of what seemed like electricity race through her body, from her fingers to her brain. Stepping back with the swords in hand, Kaoru's breaths began to come out in rigid mouthfuls.

"Let's go," ordered Battousai as he sheathed his katana and picked Kaoru's lithe form up bridal style.

"We'll stall while you get back to the mansion," said Soujiro as the other six got ready to fight again despite the pain running through their bodies.

"There's no need. I want you all to make a mad dash towards the mansion while I go to the Temple. I need to talk to the others about the other sword," said Battousai as he vanished before they could say a word.

"Orders are orders," said Katsu as he jumped out of the window.

The others only stared at each other before nodding and following.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"They're finally done," stated Megumi as she watched Ayame, Suzumi, and Dr. Genzai stand up slowly after they finished their prayers.

Saitou, Tae, and Tokio stood beside her as they waited for the other three to finish talking to the priests and priestesses there.

"The Temple of Six Arches is a beautiful and holy place…. I could have sworn that the Sacred Sword was singing with us," said Dr. Genzai as the ringing of the weapon rang through his mind again.

"It means that He has heard our prayers," said Ayame with a smile as she held onto the older man's arm at the same time as her fraternal twin took his other one.

The three stared up at the golden statue in the center and just stood there admiring their surroundings as they felt themselves relish in the holy feeling that wrapped around them.

"I hope that our parents heard our wishes in Heaven," piped up Suzumi when she received smiles from the miko that bowed to her.

Once the priests and priestesses emptied out of the room, the three turned towards the four vampires.

"We'll be heading home now," proclaimed Dr. Genzai.

"We'd like to allow you to go home, but that can't be done," said Tokio as she shook her head.

"What do you mean?" asked Ayame, as her hold on her grandfather's arm tightened.

"You must first follow us to the mansion; to meet your parents," said Tae with a weak smile when the twins gasped and stared at their guardian.

Sighing, the old man only patted their hands before bringing them to the ground to sit down.

"Your parents aren't dead, in fact they're more alive than me," explained the old doctor as he shook his head.

The twins looked at their guardian for as long as they could remember and then at the four strangers who only nodded.

"I don't understand," said Suzumi.

"Come with us and you'll understand everything in time," said Saitou as he walked over to the twins who instinctively flinched away.

"Your parents placed you under my protection while they found a way to purify your blood so that you'd become human. They only told me so much, and part of that was that many want you two gone from this world so that they can take the power that you leave behind that's in your vampire blood," explained Dr. Genzai, his eyes softening when the two girls gasped.

"W-we are human! We're not vampires! Grandpa, you know that lying is bad!" yelled Ayame as she shook her head, refusing to believe the information that she was hearing.

"Vampires are evil! Evil cannot enter such a holy place! We're not vampires," choked out Suzumi as the twins stood up and held each other in comfort.

"Not all vampires are evil…. Just because our souls are considered damn, it doesn't mean that our hearts are not pure," whispered Megumi as her bangs covered her eyes, shadowing her face. Their words hurt more than weapon could ever do.

"Vampires have no heart! They're the angels of Hell and have no soul! They're monsters, nothing more nothing less," shouted Ayame as tears flowed down her cheeks. She couldn't consider herself to be a part of such a tainted society.

The adults fell silent as the girls cried in each others arms and dropped to the ground.

"You came here tonight to thank an immortal for allowing you to enter the world of the living, yet now that you find out what you entered this world as, you scream and deny what He has made you?" taunted a deep and powerful voice that echoed through the room; magnifying until it pounded against their minds and stayed in their souls.

"Show yourself!" demanded Ayame as she stood up and looked around for the source of the voice.

The stone doors swung open to reveal Battousai with an unconscious Kaoru in his arms. His very presence sent shivers down the girls' spines as they unknowingly took a step back.

"Kaoru!" gasped Megumi as she raced over to see what was wrong with her old friend with the others close behind.

"What's she holding?" asked Tae when she saw that Kaoru was grasping something tightly in her hands towards her chest.

"Those are…. That's why the Sacred Sword was reacting," realized Tokio as her eyes fell on the red katana on Battousai's waist.

Battousai knelt down and placed Kaoru on the ground for Megumi to examine before practically gliding over to the twins when the others encircled his wife.

"Who are you? What do you want with us?" whispered Suzumi as she stood behind her sister.

"I'm Himura the Battousai and I'm here to bring you home; your real home," stated Battousai as his eyes slowly closed and opened to reveal amethyst orbs.

The twins took another step back.

"You're my cousins, and I only wish for you two to go back to where you belong safely," said Kenshin as he knelt down before them and brought out a hand towards Ayame with a comforting smile.

Confusion and suspicion filled their young faces as they pulled away; he was more of a stranger to them than the others in the room. But there was something about his smile and eyes that lured them to him and allowed them to trust him.

"The girl that I just brought in was your cousin from your mother's side long ago. She was changed into what we are, but that doesn't mean that her heart isn't still sane and pure. It doesn't matter what you are on the outside, what matters is what you are on the inside. She taught me that long ago. And I love her. In your religion, can a monster love?" asked Kenshin as he stared into Suzumi's eyes and then Ayame's.

The girls gave each other a nod before turning back towards the vampire that was a part of their family and took each took one of his clawed hands with their own.

Suddenly a high pitched sound pierced through the temple, causing the vampires to cover than hands over their ears as the ringing increased.

"It hurts," cried Suzumi as she let go of Kenshin's hand and covered her sensitive ears as she closed her eyes.

"The soul within the sword is calling out towards its master!" shouted Saitou over the deafening scream as all eyes fell on the weapon that was glowing as black as night.

"That would mean that Shishio is nearby, but that's impossible he can't enter the temple!" yelled Tae, her face twisting in pain as the sound threatened to destroy her hearing forever.

Then out of no where the humming of the sword stopped completely as the vampires slowly took their hands away from their ears.

"Kaoru," screamed Megumi when she realized that she was gone.

"No," whispered Kenshin as he raced over to them; his breathing became irregular when he couldn't sense her ki even with their connection.

"Whoever was here couldn't have gotten far," said Saitou as he took Tokio's hand in his own and rushed out of the room.

"Kaoru," said Kenshin inaudibly as his fists clenched and his eyes became a deadly bloodlust red along with his katana.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Her body felt numb and her brain felt as if it were about to explode from the way that her blood was pulsing so much.

"It was brilliant of you to mask me in so much blocking crème; it enabled me to get past the holy barrier! I felt my power grow as I got closer to the sword…. I still don't see the point of kidnapping her. I should have just grabbed the sword and taken back my soul," growled a man his voice a deep octave.

Kaoru twitched as she the voices got louder.

"She's beginning to move! Once she wakes up I'm going to make sure that she pays for making me look like a fool in from of Battousai," seethed a feminine voice.

"Calm down Tomoe, you'll get your chance. But for now, we have to use her to bring Battousai to us. Once he comes with the ransom, then we'll zap him to the future!" laughed another masculine voice.

"Why the future?" questioned the feminine voice.

"That way we have so many years to take over! Sending him to the past will be bad for us, but if he's in the future there will be no one in our way to take over the world, and by the time we meet him again we'd have become stronger than him with the twin's powers! He's going to be running right into our trap once he comes for his precious mate," said the first voice with a deep and echoing laugh.

"What about our daughter Lord Shishio? She'll go against us…" whispered female.

"She was your daughter, but not anymore. This time we're going to win and they'll all suffer," growled the masculine voice.

"Then what are we waiting for Enishi? Send the ransom note!" said Tomoe.

Kaoru groaned as she felt a jolt go through her body again. Opening her eyes weakly, she blinked when she felt a fabric against her eyelids.

She screamed when the cloth was pulled away and an intense white light struck her optical nerve, causing her to close her eyes before slowly reopening to adjust to the brightness of the room.

"I guess you're finally awake princess," snapped a woman in a traditional white kimono that she easily recognized as Tomoe.

Glaring at the older vampire, she looked around and noticed that she was chained to a wall by her wrists and ankles, barely allowing her to move a foot from the white wall. She then realized that she was trapped into what looked like the inside of a ceremonial area. The entire room was circular and the ceiling was shaped in a dome that opened up ever so slightly to reveal the quarter moon and stars. Along the walls were black candles and in the very center there was something that looks like a cross between a cannon and laser ray.

"Now that you've heard our plans, we'll have to get rid of you," smirked a vampire to her left in a violet robe and bandaged from head to toe.

"At least not until Battousai comes," added Enishi; he was dressed in a blue outfit and looked her over through his spectacles.

"Shishio…. Yumi…" acknowledged Kaoru through narrowed eyes as she looked at the woman in a shoulder cut kimono.

"So, Battousai has made you his mate already…. It's a pity that every time that he manages to sleep with you, you end up dead a few hours later," chuckled Enishi darkly as the four of them stood before Kaoru with a grin upon their faces.

Kaoru growled at them and looked defiantly into their mocking eyes.

"Feisty one isn't she?" jeered Shishio with a grin as he looked her over, trying to figure what the great Battousai saw in the girl.

"We'll just have to tame her then," said Enishi as he cracked his knuckles for emphasis.

"You're quite the idiot, aren't you? You do realize that my mate has the tendency to be…protective and possessive, right?" asked their captive as her lavender bangs shielded her eyes.

Enishi only growled at her through slit eyes before turning to walk towards the strange contraption that Kaoru could only presume was a time machine if what they said earlier was true.

"By the time I'm through with you, no living creature would want to ever look at you again," said Tomoe menacingly as she walked up into Kaoru's face and pulled back quickly when she was met by ruby orbs.

"I defeated you once, and I'll do it again," snapped Kirei as she glared at the other vampire in disgust.

Tomoe was about to slap her when her hand was pulled back by Yumi.

"Let go!" ordered Tomoe as the other vampire quickly released her red wrist.

"You can't hurt her, that'll only get her angry. We all know that when our kind gets angry we emit a very large amount of ki, and we can't afford Battousai to come here so soon. The machine isn't even fully powered up yet," reminded Yumi darkly as Tomoe only lifted her chin up and walked over to Enishi.

Kirei saw the smirk on Yumi's lips and laughed out loud as she threw her head back; they were just too predictable.

"What the hell are you laughing about?" demanded Shishio as he met her eyes with his own pair of blood colored spheres.

"Do you really think that I'd want Battousai to come here?" asked Kirei with her own grin as the others raised a brow in her direction.

"He's the only one that…" began Tomoe but was cut off short when Kirei snorted.

"Yumi over there stopped you because she wanted to hint to me that by raising my own ki Battousai would be able to sense it and come running here trying to save me while you four zap him into the future. Even if you were telling the truth, I wouldn't want him to save me anyways," said Kirei as she stood up calmly and shrugged at their confused faces.

"It's either you're very good at bluffing, or you really don't like Battousai," said Enishi once he finished checking on the machine and walked over to her; a spark of amusement and suspicion filled his turquoise eyes.

Kirei only gave him a smile as if it really didn't matter and that both of his answers were correct; her actions causing the others to question if she really was the one that gave her life to save Battousai's all those years ago.

"You don't really love him, do you?" asked Tomoe as she looked Kirei straight in the eyes.

"Who don't I really love?" asked Kirei innocently.

"Don't play stupid with us! Answer the question or we'll slaughter you with your own weapons," threatened Enishi dangerously as he pointed towards her blue katana and wakizashi that were suddenly on her waist.

Kirei realized that they had placed them there to mock her because they knew that because of her bindings she'd never be able to reach the items. Keeping a calm face, Kirei looked back up at the four.

"I'm already considered the living dead, so what would be the harm in making me into just the dead? At least then I'd know what category I fall under," replied Kirei smugly as she cocked her head and blinked at them slowly, as if she were talking to a bunch of children.

Shishio only snorted as he folded his arms across his chest.

"She's more of a burden to the Battousai if we keep her alive. Think about it, if she lives and acts this way towards the vampire then she'd kill him much more painfully than we'd ever be able to, and longer too," sneered Shishio as he looked at Enishi who was nodding in agreement.

"So you don't love him," said Tomoe as she stared at Kirei; there was something about the girl that didn't allow her to believe anything that the other vampire said.

"She has to if she allowed him to transform her and go through with the Ritual, otherwise she wouldn't have her past memories," reminded Yumi as she glared at Kirei.

"Everything that I say is a lie, so am I lying or not?" asked Kirei with a smile; she was finding it entertaining to mess with her captors' minds.

The other four gritted their teeth before turning away from her and going back to examining the machine; they'd had about enough of her confusing words.

For your sake and the world's, please don't come…. Thought Kirei as she looked out towards the moons and can only pray that the Heaven's prevent her love from coming to his demise.

~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: That's all for now! Thank you all for reading! More to come next time!