Author's Note LOL! I don't really know what to up here now… there's going to be an epilogue laterz, so stick around a while.

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-Two: Truth

So if I get a little crazy,

Look a little spacey,

Blowing kisses your way.

Will you think I'm ok?

Set the sun on fire,

Scream a little higher.

Hold you in the moonlight,

I say yeah, if you say alright.

-Dream Street

"You will die Battousai…"

Shishio smirked, he won. Everything was lost if Kenshin dies now. There would be no hope. Everyone's hopes were put into Kenshin and everything would be gone if he were to lose.

"Die…"

Kenshin's eyes glanced in Kaoru's direction and he could see the anger in her eyes. He could she pain and suffering. He wanted to be the one to soothe her. He couldn't die here… the strongest survive. Kenshin looked up at Shishio with defiance in his amber depths. The will to survive pumped through his veins and his heart pounded against his chest. Adrenaline rushed through his body and he felt his muscles contract under the tense moment.

He must win… He glanced once again in Kaoru's direction and this time saw the anxiety in her eyes. She was worried for him. She did not want him to die? He mistreated her and yet here she was, praying that he would win. His eyes darted up at Shishio, who was holding a blade threateningly over him.

******

"Misao-dono… what's wrong?" Soujiro followed Misao out of the halls before anything had happened. They were forgotten in the mist of all the confusion.

"I saw something moving here! I know it… what if they're going to ambush Kaoru and Himura?!" Soujiro looked down at her and smiled. She was just like Kaoru. He felt like he was young again and he and Kaoru were having one of their many "adventures." He then noticed that Misao was silent and creeping carefully against the wall of the large palace.

Misao put a finger over her lips to tell him to stay quiet. He nodded his head, signaling that he would stay quiet. She was at the edge of the wall and they heard voices.

"Battousai…"

She didn't recognize the harsh whisper, so she immediately thought that it was a planned assassination on Himura. She leapt out of refuge with her kunai between each finger. She shouted to surprise them, but it seems that their opponents had swift reflexes for Misao found that she was being pinned down to the ground with her hand above her head. She breathed out as she stared at the blade.

Misao closed her eyes; only wanting it to be a swift and painless, but her death never came. There was a loud clattering sound and she cracked her eyes open. It was Aoshi…

"Aoshi-sama…" She breathed his name. Aoshi's eyes widened.

"Misao…"

Misao finally noticed how close they were. His body was pushed up against hers and his face was so close that she could feel his breath brush against her. Misao smiled as a sign that she was okay, but Aoshi didn't move. He stayed there on top of Misao in the grass, loving the feeling of her body pressed against his.

Did her "love" ever see how beautiful she was? Aoshi could only wish that he hasn't. He admitted it to himself that he loved Misao. He couldn't hide the fact anymore. She was precious to him, she was his light. She was his everything. He never wanted anything to happen to her. He wanted her to be by his side, always.

"Aoshi…"

She said his name… just his name. She didn't say "sama," like she always did. Aoshi closed his eyes and relished in the pleasure of having his name roll off her tongue.

"Get away from her!" Soujiro looked down at the couple with wide eyes. He didn't want to hurt Kaoru by not saving her friend. He didn't want Kaoru to suffer anymore; he didn't want her to get hurt. He also didn't want Misao to get hurt because he got to know her over the few days and he now considered her one of his few friends.

"Soujiro, its okay…"

Misao's eyes flitted from Soujiro back to Aoshi. He still hasn't moved from their position and Misao was getting incredibly nervous. Even though she really liked the close contact, she didn't know what she was supposed to do.

Aoshi seemed to realize what he was doing and got up and turned away from Misao. "I'm sorry about that."

Misao stared at Aoshi's back and slowly got up.

"That's okay…" Aoshi turned back to her and Misao gasped.

His eyes were so cold. She could tell that he was trying to hide something.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing Misao." He turned away and seemed to be addressing someone else.

"Hiko-san, should we go check on them inside?"

The man called Hiko stood up and nodded. He was a very tall muscular man with long black hair.

"You're the one Kaoru was so worried about!"

Hiko just looked down at Misao and turned back to Aoshi.

"What should we do?"

"Let's go in."

Aoshi lead the way into the palace.

******

Kenshin didn't know what to do. He was weaponless and he seemed to be looking death in the face. Shishio smirked and brought his sword downward, slashing Kenshin's shoulder. He winced as bitter pain flowed into his body. Shishio made a move to cut his neck, but in desperation, Kenshin ducked and Shishio's blade narrowly missed him.

"Kenshin."

Kaoru threw her sheathed sword in Kenshin's direction. Kenshin gracefully caught it and quickly tucked the sheath into his belt. He placed his hand on the hilt of the sword and felt warmth spread through his body. It felt as if Kaoru's strength was flowing into him. Kenshin unsheathed the sword and held it in front of him.

"Do you seriously think that you will defeat me with that?"

Kenshin took a good look at the blade and noticed that it was on the wrong side. He had forgotten that Kaoru owned a reverse blade sword.

Shishio raised his sword above his head and charged at Kenshin who successfully evaded the attack. He dodge to one side and was about to attack Shishio's unguarded back. A loud clang echoed in the hall and everyone saw that Shishio had blocked Kenshin's attack. Shishio grinned as both of the fighters broke apart. He ran towards Kenshin, dragging his sword along the ground.

A spark erupted on the tip of his sword and a flame ignited. Kenshin looked at the blade and leapt to one side, but Shishio seemed to have anticipated this and he follow Kenshin with his katana. The blade cut through Kenshin's skin and the flame burned his flesh. Kaoru watched the scene. She felt so helpless and she hated it.

Kaoru felt a growing hatred within her. She felt power grow, waiting to be unleashed. Kaoru's eyes burned red. Shishio's eyes widened when he saw them and he stopped moving. It was as if he were held still by some unseen force. Kenshin took this moment and brought the dull blade to his chest.

Shishio fell to the floor gasping loudly.

Kenshin glowered over Shishio, but before he could do anything, an arrow embedded itself into Kenshin's leg. Kaoru felt anger boiling within her. That was so unfair. Shishio had hidden archers in the hall. She could sense them. Shishio recovered from the assault and stood before Kenshin.

He grabbed his neck and tightened his hold on it. Kenshin gasped for air, but the arrow in his leg slowly drained away his energy.

'Let me take over…'

'What?'

'You want him to live, don't you?'

'Who are you?'

'I am you.'

'You can't be.'

'Yes, I am.'

'What are you going to do?'

'What you want to.'

Kaoru couldn't take it anymore. She seemed to explode; a bright light emitted from her and everything seemed to be shaking. Flames erupted in her eyes as she glared at Shishio. Objects seemed to start trashing around in the hall, tables, chairs, etc. were strewn all over the place. The archers stood up from their hiding places and aimed their arrows at Kaoru, but all of the arrows burned suddenly before they made with her flesh.

A bright light surrounded her and exploded forwards. The archers fell back in shock and sprawled to the ground in pain. Shishio just watched Kaoru with curious eyes. The wind blew powerfully against his body, but he didn't let it take him away. Kenshin looked at Kaoru and knew immediately that she was not Kaoru anymore. It was Diablo.

Kenshin felt fear tingle inside him. She was going to kill them all. He looked at the archers who were on the ground and saw that they were bleeding unceasingly and soon all of them died from the lack of blood. The halls were bloodied and Kenshin wondered what Kaoru would do when she awakes from her trance.

He took a step towards Kaoru and she flinched. Kaoru was in there somewhere. She was in that body and knew what she was doing, but she couldn't stop it. Kenshin held his hand over his eyes and walked towards Kaoru. She couldn't do this. Not now. She was too innocent to understand the insanity of murder. She would hurt herself by doing this and Kenshin didn't want that to happen to her. He held his hands out to her, but debris hit his face and small cuts began to appear on his smooth skin.

******

Misao saw a bright light emit from the palace doors.

"What's happening?! Kaoru's in there!"

Misao tried to run to the building, but Aoshi wrapped his arms around her. She struggled against him, but no matter what she did; he wouldn't let go.

"Let me go! Kaoru's in there! We have to help!"

She beat against his chest, no matter how much she loved him, she wouldn't let her best friend die. Pain seethed in her and she crumpled in his arms. She gently pawed against his chest and tears soaked his shirt. Aoshi didn't know what to do, so he awkwardly wrapped his arms around the crying girl.

"It's okay. Battousai is in there with her, I'm sure he'll think of something." Misao looked up at him with her enormous, beautiful green eyes.

"Really?"

Before he could stop himself, Aoshi smiled. A true, real smile. Misao smiled back and stood on her tip toes to kiss his cheek. She then went to Soujiro to ask if he was lonely.

Aoshi watched as Misao danced in the sunlight and smiled once more while putting his hand upon his cheek. He could still feel her warm, soft lips on his cheek and he ached to feel them somewhere else.

"Shinomori?"

"Hiko-san." Aoshi would have jumped like a kid doing something bad if he had not stopped himself. Even through that, he could not stop the foreign heat rush to his cheeks.

"Are you blushing?" Aoshi just darkened more.

"It must be the air." Aoshi didn't give Hiko a chance to push the matter because Aoshi walked away to "meditate."

******

"Kaoru!"

Kenshin turned to the sound of a foreign, masculine voice. It belonged to a rooster haired man. He was very tall and at his side there was a very beautiful woman. Kenshin cursed inwardly as the man ran towards Kaoru. For some odd reason, he didn't want her to be saved by her friend. He wanted to be the one to save her. He wanted to be her hero, but would she be able to accept him after what he has done to her. Kenshin made a quick sprint to where Kaoru was and looked down at her.

Her eyes were so blank and there was no emotion on her face. Her normal cheerful smiled was gone and in its place was a cold hard line.

Kenshin couldn't bare to look at her. She was so void of emotion that it made him want to cry. She was his light, his only way out of this world into one of a frenzy passion. He wanted that passion, the passion that she ignited in him whenever she smiled. He gently cupped her cold cheeks and did the only thing he could.

He kissed her.

TO BE CONTINUED…

OMG! I seriously don't know what to put in the next chapter… this one just seemed like Ceres! GOD!!!! I'm out of ideas! Send me some… PLEASE!!!!! I think the next chapter will be the last… I'm not sure. There might be an epilogue after that one though… I'm still not sure. That's sad. -_- Well, be sure the review.