Author's Note I really don't like typing these all the time. Just review and check out my other stories. I decided to keep the powers! LOL! I know some people wanted me to take it out because it was confusing, but I was an idea just hit me… and I assure you it hurt like *beep*! LOL! Potty mouth… -_- Any who… what do you want me to type here? C'mon just review telling me what you want up here! Advice column… funny junk… riddles… jokes… stupid things… quotes… fortune cookies… you get the idea! LOL! Power to the reviewers! O.o

Summary Amber eyes glowed eerily in the dark surrounding them. All he knew was that a soft heart wasn't a heart at all. It must be of stone, so as to carve the law of living: The strongest survives. Will a light pierce the dark abyss they call insanity?

Disclaimer I don't own Rurouni Kenshin so don't sue me.

King's Box

Chapter Twenty: Discovery

Silent night, Holy night,

All is calm, All is bright.


Round yon virgin, Mother and child.

Holy infant, so tender and mild.

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace.

-In honor of Christmas!

Footsteps… that's what she heard. Hundreds of them, running everywhere. There were shouts and screams, then suddenly a man collapsed and an arrow was imbedded into his chest. Kaoru wasn't sure if it was one of the footmen Shishio placed around the house…

Kaoru watched as the man pulled the arrow from his chest and let the blood seep into his clothes, turning it red. He slumped and Kaoru immediately knew that he was dead. Then, in the mist of all this blood and chaos… a figure appeared with a sword in hand.

It was a manslayer… a monster… a beast… a demon… a hitokiri.

Soujiro and Misao ran to Kaoru's unmoving form. Misao immediately cradled Kaoru's head in her lap. Soujiro ran to the river near the hut and grabbed a nearby bucket. He filled the bucket with water. Misao motioned for Soujiro too hurry.

When Soujiro got there he placed the bucket next to Misao. She cupped the water in her hands and gently dripped some into Kaoru's open mouth. Kaoru sputtered…

Her eyes fluttered open. She stared up at Misao.

"Their gone…"

Misao looked down into Kaoru's sorrow filled eyes. It was so sad. Her hope was gone.

"I know where the box is…"

Kaoru murmured. How could she have forgotten? His voice. His laughter. In that dark stairway there was no one there except her and the three soldiers, and the thief. She knew who it was. She met him before. How could she forget?! She felt anger build up within her. She couldn't stand this anymore. She was the cause of all this trouble. Of all this violence.

Misao looked into Kaoru's eyes and gasped when they turned red. Misao looked up at Soujiro who just looked away. It was happening.

Soujiro didn't know what was happening, but he knew a little about the legend. Saito didn't tell Kaoru about the violence associated with the Draupnir.

Li Teiguai had two personalities. One was good and the other half was evil. You could tell who it was by the color of their eyes. Li Teiguai had beautiful entrancing blue eyes. But, the other one, Diablo… he had blood red eyes. His eyes terrified anyone who looked upon them. Some died with just a glare from these haunting eyes. Some were paranoid for life. Kaoru didn't know this, but she wasn't Kaoru right now. Diablo has taken over her body. They red eyes flashed in the sunlight, then suddenly their depths glowed blue.

"I know where it is."

"Where is it?"

"Misao? Can you deliver a message to the king? Tell him we discovered the truth to his mistress's death." Kaoru sat up and looked deep into Misao's eyes.

Misao smiled.

"Yes. You can count on me." She saddled one of the horses and rode off.

Kaoru moaned. This is going to be very frustrating. They didn't live so far from the castle. Misao would probably be back by the next morning, just when they were planning to see Shishio.

Soujiro felt a growing dread within him every time Kaoru mentioned Shishio…

******

Kenshin couldn't wait to see Kaoru again. He wanted to feel her smooth lips against his. He wanted to hear the gentle sigh that slipped from her lips. Kenshin wanted to claim those lips and gently caress them with his own. He wanted to see her again. He wanted her to see him.

Aoshi could tell that Kenshin wanted to see Kaoru. He knew that he wanted to make sure that she was okay.

'Misao…' Aoshi kicked himself inwardly. Why did she leave?

Aoshi sighed. Maybe she was tired of this fancy of hers. Maybe she loved another… maybe she could even love him…

Aoshi shook his head. Something was wrong with him. He shouldn't think of Misao that way.

Kenshin could see that Aoshi was having an inner feud with himself. He frowned. It was obvious to everyone that Misao loved Aoshi, did he not see it? Was he that oblivious to her advances?

Kenshin shook his head and let his mind wander back to Kaoru. Why hadn't he seen it before? His love for her was obvious. That tingling feeling he got near her. The feeling that his tongue had turned to lead and his fingers refused to move. His unwillingness to take his lips from hers. Her warm, soft lips. He wanted to kiss them again and again. He wanted to hear her moan his name as he took her face in his hands. He wanted her to hold him with her lovely arms and comfort him with her butterfly kisses.

Kenshin looked up at the sky and sighed to himself. When would he see her again. Kenshin sighed and looked up at the dark sky. He silently prayed to himself that Kaoru was okay…

*********

Kaoru entered the castle. She was going to see Shishio. She looked over at Misao and Soujiro. She wasn't sure if they would live after this. She wasn't sure what would happen, she just wished that everyone else would be okay.

Kaoru took in a big breath and opened the doors. What was she going to do?

She was making it up as they went along.

She followed the servant that greeted them. They entered the same hall and when she looked up, she was served with three grinning faces. Houji, Gohei, and Shishio.

Shishio let his eyes wander over Kaoru. There was something different about her. Something about the way she held herself. Her head was held high and her back was straight. It was if she had no fear. No fear of death or anything else. What was she expecting him to do?

"Did you find it?"

Kaoru just stared at him.

The blue irises gentle swirled a little, mixing with red. Shishio started to tremble. Those eyes. He remembered thinking about them. Those eyes aren't those of a human… It was the eyes of an immortal. Diablo. The demon that possesses all those of the Li Teiguai line. He didn't want her to become that demon.

"Hiko-sama will die if you don't show it to me."

Her eyes immediately cleared.

"Where is he?"

"Where he should be."

"You took him here, didn't you? You took him prisoner in my father's house!"

"That is a lie."

Shishio stood and sized Kaoru up.

"Just tell me where that box is."

"I know what you want. I know what you're trying to do."

"And what might that be?"

"You're going to rebel against the king and take the throne."

Shishio just turned his head away.

"How does it feel?"

Kaoru looked up at him with a hard glare. "How does what feel?"

"To be betrayed. To be betrayed… by a friend." He just smiled maliciously at Kaoru's confused look. She seriously didn't know what he was talking about.

Soujiro sensed what Shishio was thinking. He was going to tell Kaoru about his betrayal. Soujiro didn't think he would be able to handle the thought of Kaoru hating him.

"How does it feel to be betrayed… by Soujiro?"

Kaoru gasped and looked back at Soujiro. She stared at his bowed head long and hard. It was the moment of truth. The moment Soujiro had been dreading. Would she hate him or forgive him? He didn't know and a part of him didn't want to know. He wanted time to freeze so that he would never have to know Kaoru's hate.

He kept his head bowed and grasped his hands. They were sweating.

"He didn't betray me."

Soujiro's head snapped up. Her words sounded so strong and true. She wasn't trying to convince anyone with a silly idea. She was stating something she firmly believed in.

"He didn't betray me. He helped me."

"I ordered him to kill you."

"But, he didn't. So in all actuality, he betrayed you by befriending me." Shishio felt rage build up within him. How dare she?!

The insufferable brat.

"I know where the gods damned box is." Kaoru laughed cruelly. The evil within her was awaking. With each thought of sadness, an anger… a hate deep within her was awaking. Her laugh held the everyone's attention and frightened them.

"I know what you did, Shishio." She knew what he did. She knew everything. He deceived everyone, but her. She knew what he had done.

"I have seen a vision of it. You disgust me."

Shishio trembled. She knew? What did she know?

He attempted to act calm. "W-what did you see?"

He tried to plaster on his evil grin, but it faltered. She opened her mouth to speak, but the doors of the hall were flung open, and like Kaoru's vision at Hiko's hut… a man appeared against the flickering light of the sun. It seemed like he came from fire. A monster and… a lover. His form contrasted with the brightness of the background.

"Kenshin…"

TO BE CONTINUED…

I want this story to have more chapters… that's why this one is kind of short. Tell me if you like it! I think it was a bit rushed, but what do you think?

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Happy days! ^_^

Merry Christmas!